


A Daydream Away

by tigris45



Series: Nate and Tyson are in Love [1]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Coming Out, Dirty Talk, Dirty Talk in Public, Established Relationship, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Gay Sex, Homophobia, Hurt, Internal homophobia, Long, Lots of Sex, M/M, Oral Sex, Pining, Rare paring - Freeform, Real Life, Sex, Sid and Geno are not together but they dated in the past, Slow Burn, break-ups, exhbitionism, rare pairs, slight exhibitionism, unprotected sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-09-08 02:09:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 103,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8826202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigris45/pseuds/tigris45
Summary: “So, that’s it then?” Nate asks.Ty doesn’t say anything, just stares at the ground.“Ty, don’t do this.”“This is me thinking with my head, Nate. Hockey has always been it for me, even when things were shaky. This… this part of me is something I didn’t think I would ever pull out of the box that it was locked in. But, you were different. You were special. You are special. You will always be special. But, this is where it has to end. I can’t follow you down that path. I have to lock this all away. I can’t take it back out again. I’m… I’m so sorry Nate.”“Yeah me too.”





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because if these two aren't dating then I don't know what the f*ck is going on. I wanted this to be as true to their lives as possible. Any video from the NHL website or social media posts directly mentioned in this are real and their captions are real. They are direct quotes from social media. (Just go look.) But, this is a work of fiction. I don't know the exact schedule of the Avs for the past 3 or 4 years. I don't know when Nate did or did not play. This is my interpretation of how their lives played out according to their social medias accounts.  
> This first chapter is just to see if there's interest. I hit 100 pages today and figured might as well post the first chapter.

Nate walks into the locker room of his rookie season. It’s a little bit intimidating. All these guys who are apparently his teammates now, have all been here before. They’ve all played professional games before. Like holy shit, he’s playing with some guys that could go to the Olympics next year.  
Not only that, but his secret just became that much harder to keep. It’s not like he hasn’t been in a locker room before. He knows to keep his eyes averted and not check out his teammates. He knows to keep to himself in the shower. He knows how it goes. Hell, he’s been here for the past week with other rookies, some of which made the roster, but most of which got sent down to the AHL.  
Gabe smiles at him from across the room. “Well lookey here. Number one overall has made an appearance.”  
Nate blushes and looks down. He keeps forgetting the fact that people actually think he good. He got drafted high. For some reason, it’s not so much as a surprise to everyone else. Sure he’s fast and has good hands, but he’s not Patrick Kane good, and he’s sure as hell not Sidney Crosby good, even though they have the same hometown.  
Nate grew up idolizing Sid. He thought, maybe just maybe, if he trained with Sidney, could learn from him, maybe he’d be as good as him. Of course, Sid found out Nate’s secret. There had been an incident… well, Nate doesn’t dwell on it. He’s just happy Sid was totally cool with it, promised to keep it under wraps. But, since then, Nate has kept his distance a bit, hasn’t really talked to Sid, maybe as much as he should.  
The guys around the room clap and hoot and chirp at him. He makes his way over to his locker, his NHL locker. Wow. It’s hard to believe he’s here. After all this time, all that hard work, it’s finally paying off. The guy next to his locker looks at him and smiles.  
“How ya doing rookie? I’m Barrie.” He offers a hand.  
“Nice to meet you.” Nate takes his hand and shakes it. He’s in awe as more vets pour in,  
“Pretty crazy, isn’t it,” Barrie says. Nate can definitely identify a Canadian accent when he hears one. Barrie can’t be much older than him, but enough to be a seasoned veteran.  
Nate nods.  
Barrie laughs, peeling off his shirt. Nate stares for a minute before averting his eyes. It generally okay to look at teammates with their shirts off. Just like any other dudes, it’s not that big of a deal. But Nate was instantly attracted to Barrie, and looking at his chest is definitely not going to go over well if he pops a semi. The first, last, and only time that’s ever happened to him is the first time he watched Jo strip in the locker room.  
“I feel ya. I’ve only been here for two years. Every time I walk in it’s like, whoa. I’m really here,” Barrie says, stripping father down to dress for practice.  
Nate nods, trying his absolute hardest not to look over. He starts stripping to distract himself. He tries to get into the headspace for practice, but it’s hard with this guy next to him. He’s shorter than Nate, but he’s built, way more than Nate is. He doesn’t know if that’s because he’s been doing it longer, or what, but he’s not opposed. No, he can’t be thinking like that. Barrie is a teammate.  
“Tyson! Mackinnon!” Patrick Roy shouts from the tunnel. “Hurry your asses up!”  
“Yes, Coach!” Barrie yells back. “Can you believe we get that legend to coach us?” He smiles when he says it. It almost sounds sarcastic, but how can it be sarcastic when Roy really is a legend?  
“Uh, sure?” Nate offers.  
B arrie laughs again. “Come on rookie,” he says, ruffling Nate’s hair before rushing out to the practice rink. Nate stands there staring after him. He doesn’t know what just happened, but he knows what’s about to happen: hockey. He takes off after Barrie, or Tyson. It’s just his luck that he’s the last one on the ice.  
“Drafted first overall but last on the ice!” Paul Stasney calls. Some of the guys laugh, some whistle, but it makes Nate a little uncomfortable. He knows it’s just hockey players chirping, but it’s making him uncomfortable anyway.  
“Aww, give the rookie a break, Stas,” Matt Duchene cracks. “It’s his first day with stars like me.” He flashes a smile, and Nate cracks up.  
“Come on, rookie,” Barrie says, slinging his arm around Nate’s neck, pulling Nate along with his momentum. They congregate at center ice to start stretching. Stasney and Duchene stand in the middle leading stretches. It seems like Duchene and Stasney are really close, like Stasney was the vet to take Duchene under his wing. Nate doesn’t know who’ll be the guy to do that for him. He wildly hopes it’s not Barrie. He’s not sure he’s survive that kind of torture. Gabe and Barrie are making faces at each other from across the ice. A few of the older vets are talking amongst themselves, going through the motions like they’ve done for years. Nate hopes that one day he’ll be like them. Not all hockey players retire on their own volition. Most are taken out by injury.  
Finally, they start in on drills. This is where Nate’s comfortable. He gets going and doesn’t want to stop.  
“So rookie, how was your first official day?” Barrie asks.  
“Do you get off on the fact that you’re no longer the rookie?” Cody McLeod asks.  
“Shut the fuck up, Cody.”  
McLeod gives Nate a big toothless grin. “Don’t worry rookie. I’ll keep this hound off your back for ya.”  
“Hey!” Barrie exclaims, just as Varlomov gets his arms around him to give him a nuggie.  
Nate laughs along with the rest of the guys. This feels natural. This feels normal. He strips along with the rest of them for showers. He takes a deep breath and keeps his eyes averted from Tyson as he strips next to him. It’s going to be a long career.

Practice and preseason pass quickly. It is interspaced with going to lunch or bars with the guys. Nate is under 21 so he can’t legally drink yet. That doesn’t mean a thing to the hockey players. Gabe, their captain, is also underage, so it shouldn’t surprise Nate the amount of drinks that are slid his way by his teammates. He never drinks too much. When he drinks too much, he doesn’t stop talking and a lot of times that results with him spilling secrets he’d rather keep hidden.  
Once the season starts up, things get even easier. He’s billeting with Max Talbot, which is a lot of fun. Max has proposed to his girlfriend, so it’s not much different than being in a house with a married couple, especially with Cynthia being pregnant. Nate is happily subject to all of Cynthia’s mothering. She cooks him all kinds of food that he scarfs down like any other eighteen-year-old hockey player.  
“I better get used to making this much food,” Cynthia laughs one night.  
“Whys that?” Nate asks through a mouthful of food.  
“Manners, Nate!” she exclaims.  
He ducks his head in embarrassment.  
Max rests a hand on Cynthia’s stomach, which is just starting to show. “That’s why, Nate.”  
“Oh, duh,” he says after he swallows. “Of course you’re going to have ice children.”  
The three of them laugh around the table. Of course the children on a professional hockey player and a champion figure skater are going to come out of the womb with skates on their feet. 

Early in the preseason, there is a Luke Bryan concert that Gabe invites him to. “Come on. All the young guys will be there. You should be there too, plus we have an extra ticket. Tyson bailed on us.”  
That makes Nate’s “yes” come a little quicker. Without his crush there to take his attention, it will be a lot easier. Gabe hands him the VIP ticket and says he’d be by at sixish to pick him up.  
Nate gets home with Max super excited. It’s his first official social event with guys on the team.  
“Calm down there, bud,” Max says. “I didn’t even know you liked country music.”  
Nate doesn’t. But, to hang out with Gabe and some of the other younger guys (he’s sure Matt Duchene will be among them) he’ll go anywhere really.  
He spends the afternoon, after eating through the equivalent of three meals, trying to decide what to wear. He stops when Max appears in his doorway, giving him a very judgmental look. He ends up throwing on a flannel, jeans and a hat when Gabe shows up. They pick food up on their way to the show. Nate has a blast with the boys (EJ, Dutchy, and Gabe) even if he doesn’t know a single song. It seems like they all have a good time as well. They get to meet Luke Bryan after the show, which is pretty cool and Nate posts the picture on Instagram. 

His first official game is October 2. He gets two assists, and it is a good day. The boys are whooping and hollering in the locker room. Gabe pulls him under his arm and shouts in his ear. This is fantastic. He could not have asked for a better night. Someone starts playing music and from there they’re all dancing as they peel of sweaty uniforms. Tyson is singing at him, still undressing. Nate sings back, letting his eyes wander a little bit. He’s high off the awesome game. He’s high off the energy. For a moment he forgets about the etiquette and just goes with it. Before he knows it, he and Ty are half naked, in each other’s arms and singing together, practically breathing the same air.  
“You’re coming out with us tonight.” Ty breathes in his air when the song is over.  
Nate just nods, still in a daze from what just happened.  
“Hot!” Nick Holden wolf whistles.  
“Shut the fuck up, Holden,” Ty shouts, unwinding himself from Nate.  
Nate feels the sudden lack of contact like a stab in the gut. He was flying so high, and was suddenly cut down from it in a split second. He shakes his head, trying to come back to himself. It takes a bit longer than he anticipated, most of the guys have left for the showers. It’s just him and Ty now. Of course it’s just him and Ty.  
“You cool bro?” he asks. He’s wrapped in just a towel, so it’s hard for Nate to focus.  
He nods. “Yeah, yeah I’m good.”  
Ty nods and cracks a small smile. “Come on rookie. Let’ get showered so we can go celebrate.”  
Nate smiles and quickly finishes undressing. He and Ty join the rest of the guys in the showers, chirping each other, still feeding off the energy of the game.  
They dress in their after game suits and head out to a bar. “Come on, rookie,” Ty says fondly. “I’m buying. You deserve to celebrate.”  
Nate laughs. “If this is what get for my first game, I can’t wait for my first goal!”  
The vets laugh, Ty laughing so hard he rests his head on Nate’s shoulder. It sends sparks down Nate’s spine. He knows it’s just bros, but he can’t shake the feeling as they make their way over to a booth. There’s so many guys out tonight, they take up several booths. Most of the young guys sit together, which means Nate’s entire right side is pressed up against Ty’s left. It’s making it hard for Nate to focus on anything else. He can’t really feel Tyson between layers of fabric, but it’s still making him giddy. Who else gets to be pressed up against their crush for the entire night? Tyson orders a round of drinks and slides on over to Nate when they get there.  
“You deserve it, Nate,” Ty says in his ear. It feels very intimate the way Tyson’s fingers linger on the cup as Nate takes it, whispering words in his ears.  
“Aww, the young ones are bonding,” Stasney coos.  
Tyson sticks out his tongue as Duchene makes a face at his favorite vet. Nate blushes and looks down at the drink Ty handed him.  
“Don’t tell me you’ve never had a drink, rookie,” Tyson chirps loudly, so the whole team can hear.  
“Come on, rookie,” McLeod booms. “Take a drink.” He upends his own flask.  
Nate rolls his eyes at the face Tyson is making at him, but Nate takes a deep breath, and takes a swig. He makes a face at the bitterness, but it goes down well.  
“You like it?” Ty asks.  
Nate nods, heat rushing to his cheeks. He can’t tell if it’s the alcohol or Tyson.  
“Finish that one and I’ll get you another one.”  
Nate smiles and takes another sip. Tyson suddenly leans across the table to shout in Gabe’s face. Gabe shouts right back, but in Swedish. The boys laugh, and Ty falls back down against Nate’s side. The order food, and Nate is really grateful. He’s young, so he’s still in that stage where he’s always hungry. Before he knows it, there’s plates of nachos and so much fried food. They instantly start digging in. It seems like they actually ordered meals, instead of just shit appetizers, but Nate’s most definitely not complaining.  
“What about her?” Gabe asks. It seems like his question is directed at Ty, but he’s looking at some brunette at the bar with a nice ass.  
“What about her?” Ty shoots back.  
“Well, would you pick her up? Come on Ty, give me something to work with.”  
Nate hides his sorrow in his drink. Of course Ty’s straight. It’s not like he was expecting anything different, but it still sucks. He sets his empty glass on the table. Ty looks over. “Get this boy another drink!” he shouts.  
“Don’t think you’re gonna avoid this question, Tyson.”  
“No,” Ty says casual. He slings his arm over the back of the booth, almost touching Nate’s shoulders. He slides Nate’s new drink over. “No, Gabe, I wouldn’t pick her up.”  
“Why not?”  
Ty smirks into his glass. “She’s not my type.” He doesn’t look at Gabe as he says it. He looks at Nate. It gives Nate more hope than it really should.  
By the end of the night, Nate is trashed. Tyson offer to help Talbo take him home. From what Nate can tell, Max is thankful for the help. It’s past two in the morning when the three of them finally stumble in Max’s front door. Max says a quick good night to the two of them, before disappearing into his room. Nate gives Tyson drunk directions on how to get to his room. Ty half carries half drags Nate through the door and throws him down on his bed.  
“Help,” Nate whines pitifully, pulling at his shirt, but not quite managing to do more than ruck it up to about his chest.  
Tyson sighs and clambers on the bed with him. Nate’s squirming because… well he can’t quite figure out why but this feels really good and really wrong at the same time. Ty rolls his eyes and pins Nate down with his weight. He helps Nate wriggle out of his shirt, then with more effort because Nate can’t stop moving, takes off his shoes and his pants.  
The lights are out and Nate has been arranged in the bed with the cover on top of him. Nate’s not sure if Ty’s left yet or not but he says anyway, “Stay. It’s too late for you to go home.” It comes out in a whisper and Tyson’s probably already left anyway, but he hears some rustling after a pause, and the distinct sound of a zipper. Just before Nate nods off, he feels the bed dip and Tyson press against his back. 

Nate wakes up way too hot. One, it’s October in Colorado, and two, they should have the air conditioning on. Like really what the fuck? But, then he registers a weight across his stomach and the light movement of air by his neck. The next thing he registers is he’s about to hurl. He launches himself from the bed and to his bathroom. He’s retching into the toilet when someone comes up behind him to hold his hair.  
He’s finally able to collapse against the tile floor. He’s breathing hard, and his heart is racing, and he feels gross.  
“Need some water, dude?”  
He looks up and sees Tyson, only in his boxers. His hair is sleep-mussed and his eyes are still drooping with sleep. He nods solemnly. Water sounds really good right now. He doesn’t move from the bathroom floor, and Ty comes back with glass of water and two Ibuprofen.  
“Man, you are a god,” Nate says after he’s down the pills and the water.  
Ty laughs. “Dude you were so trashed last night. I’ve never seen a rookie so drunk.”  
“Dude you’re the one who kept feeding me drinks.”  
Ty laughs and rolled his eyes. “You need a shower man.”  
“So do you.”  
Ty nods thoughtfully. They stay like that for a while, before Ty offers him a hand. “Take a shower rookie.”  
“You too.”  
Ty nods smiling. He leaves the bathroom, door closing softly behind him.  
Nate doesn’t know what time it is, but it’s probably late enough in the day if Ty was suggesting a shower. He flushes the toilet and peels off his boxers. He turns the heat in the shower and steps inside. That’s when everything hit him from the night before. Ty brought him home and got him undressed, by fucking sitting on Nate for Christ’s sake. He even stayed the night when Nate asked him too. Nate asked Ty to stay the night. Not only that, but Ty had crawled into Nate’s bed and slept with him. Nate woke up with his back pressed to Tyson’s front. Holy shit. Nate leans his forehead against the shower wall. The cool tile feels good. He can’t believe all that happened last night. Not to mention the way Ty looked at him when he said that girl wasn’t his type. What the fuck did that mean? He’s overthinking this and he knows it. They were both gone last night. Ty just fell into bed because it’s more comfortable than the floor. That’s all it is. That’s all it can be.  
Nate lets the water pour over him for just a bit longer before scrubbing shampoo into his hair. Damn does that feel good. He closes his eyes and lets the water pressure clear the shampoo. He scrubs soap into his body, trying to rid himself of the bar smell and the alcohol still clinging to his pores.  
When he finally emerges from his bedroom, clothed and cleaned, Max is sitting at the kitchen bar, cup of coffee in hand and coffee still brewing in the pot. Nate grabs a mug and pours the coffee into it.  
“How was the rookie sleepover?” Max asks.  
“Ty’s not a rookie,” is Nate’s immediate answer.  
He gets a raised eyebrow in response.  
“What?” Nate asks.  
“Is there something you’d like to tell me?” Max asks, eyebrow still raised.  
“There’s nothing to tell,” Nate mumbles into his mug.  
“Nate, come on. You need to be able to trust me, okay. If there’s something I need to know, you should trust me enough to tell me.”  
“I know, and I do.” Nate sips at his coffee.  
Max raises and eyebrow. “So, you got anything to tell me?”  
Nate takes a deep breath. “I’m gay.”  
Max chuckles. “Tell me something I don’t know.” He takes a sip of coffee as Nate splutters.  
“What?” Nate exclaims. “What do you mean?”  
“Well, first of all, it’s kind of obvious.”  
“It is?” Nate asks sheepishly.  
Max nods. “Only by someone who’s looking for it.”  
“Why were you looking for it?” Nate asks cautiously.  
“I was told.”  
“Told? Told by who?”  
Max clears hiss throat. “Sid. Sid thought your billet family and your captain should know. He knew you wouldn’t do it yourself, so he told me and Gabe.”  
“He had no right!” Nate exclaims. “That wasn’t his secret to tell.”  
“I agree,” Max says. “But, I’m glad he did it. Although, I wish he had been wrong and you had told me instead”  
Nate looks down into mug.  
“Call him. You should tell him how you feel, Nate.”  
Nate nods. He pours himself more coffee and grabs a container of leftovers from the fridge.  
“I wasn’t talking about Sid!” Max calls, just as Nate closes his door.  
It takes him a few deep breaths to collect himself. Max knows he’s gay. Sid told Max. Gabe knows he’s gay. Sid told Gabe. Max knows he likes Tyson. Fuck.  
He scarfs down the food and washes it down with coffee. He fumbles around for his phone afterwards. His thumb hovers over Sid’s name. He doesn’t hesitate much longer before the phone is against his ear.  
“Hey Nate!” Sid says. Nate can hear the sound of gym equipment in the background.  
“Can we talk… in private?”  
“Yeah, yeah, sure Nate. One second.” Nate hears Sid maneuver around the gym he’s in. “Alright buddy, what is it?”  
“How could you tell them? That wasn’t your fucking secret, Sid.”  
Sid sighs. “Look, Nate, I did it for you. I knew you’ve never tell them, even Max, who I’d like to remind you, you’re living with.”  
“It’s still not your secret to tell, Sid. Fuck.”  
“Dude, seriously, I’m sorry. I should’ve at least told you.”  
“Yeah, fucking seriously dude.”  
“But, I wanted there to be someone to look out for you in Colorado. I didn’t want you to pick up some creep, and end up in dead in a back alley or something. I didn’t have to worry about that in Cole Harbor, because I was around in the summer and you had Jo. But, now Jo is in Florida and you’re in Colorado. Someone has to have your back, Nate. That’s what a teams for.”  
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Nate says, flopping down onto his pillow.  
“So, any cute guys in Denver?”  
Nate laughs. Of course Sid would ask. “No, not really,” he says hesitantly.  
“You sure?” Sid says. “Because to me it sounds like there’s someone you got your eye on.” That’s the downside to being friends with someone for years. Sid knows Nate inside and out, as Nate does him.  
“Yeah, fine, there is SOMEone.”  
“Who?” Sid exclaims. Nate would say it’s a squeal, but Sid would deny it in every way he could.  
Nate sighs, “It’s… Tyson.”  
“Tyson? Like Tyson Barrie Tyson?” Sid asks.  
“Yeah, Sid, him.”  
“Well, does he like you?” Sid asks.  
“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”  
“Have you asked him?”  
Nate sighs. “No, Sid, I haven’t. If I haven’t told my billet family I’m gay, do you really expect me to have told the guy I like, who’s on my team, if he’s swings that way? Come on, Sid, you know me better than that.”  
“I was hoping, okay.”  
“Whatever. I don’t wanna lose his friendship, so I probably won’t ask him.”  
“You won’t necessarily loose a friendship, Nate.”  
“Please don’t tell me your Zhenya story again. I’ve heard it more times than I’ve heard the story of how my parents got together.”  
“Nate, you wound me,” Sid gasps, in mock offence. The two of them laugh together over the phone. “Well, know you don’t have to be afraid to ask.”  
“Yeah, yeah.”  
“And Nate?”  
“Yeah, Sid?”  
“Call Jo. He misses you and he’s having a harder time adjusting to Florida than you are to Colorado.”  
“Alright, Sid. I will.”  
“I’ll see ya in a bit kiddo. Good luck.”  
“Thanks, Sid, you too.” He hangs up, thinking about calling Jo, but that’d be a lot for one morning. And, waiting on the screen of his phone is a text from Gabe, asking to meet up for a workout. Looks like Max told the captain about their little confrontation this morning.  
On one condition. Nate responds.  
What is that? ;p Gabe asks  
No deep conversations.  
No promises ;p  
Nate rolls his eyes but agrees to meet at their practice rink to get some conditioning in.  
When Nate comes out, ready to go, Max is sitting on the couch watching football.  
“Going to work out?” he asks as Nate grabs a water bottle and a bottle of Gatorade from the fridge.  
Nate grunts, not liking this communication between Max and Gabe. He grabs the keys to his car, and leaves without another word.  
When he gets there, Gabe is waiting outside, scrolling through his phone. “Hey, dude. You ready?”  
Nate nods and they head in. For the first little bit, it’s good. They’re both on treadmills, just getting warmed up when Gabe starts. “So, Nate. I know you didn’t really want me to know but-“  
“No stop there. It’s not that big a deal. Whatever.” Nate punches up the speed on his treadmill.  
“Yeah, it’s not that big a deal. It’s not like anyone on the team would care.”  
“Really, Gabe, I don’t want to talk about it.” He punches the speed again. It’s getting hard to focus on running and talk to Gabe.  
“Nate, come on. We need to discuss this.”  
“No, we don’t,” he says through his teeth. He hits the speed again. He focused so hard on his speed, he doesn’t notice Gabe stop and get off. It isn’t much longer until he feels himself slowing and Gabe standing in front of his treadmill.  
“Alright man. No more talk of your sexuality, but will you spot for me?”  
Nate nods, not really able to say anything because he’s breathing so hard.  
The next day at practice isn’t any different, except the way Nate keeps glancing around the room to see if the guys know. Which is dumb, because if any of them knew, it’s not like Nate would be able to read it on their faces.  
“Hey, lunch?” Nate blinks, and Ty is looking at him expectantly. Ty is only half dressed. Nate really should say no. He can’t talk to Ty after yesterday, but he’s not able to say no to him when he’s fully dressed, let alone half. So, Nate nods, and hurries through getting ready.  
Tyson takes Nate to a cool place, out of the way. It’s very obviously family friendly, but there’s a list of local beers at the table. Not like Nate could get a drink here anyway, without the protection of the team.  
A waiter comes by to take their drink orders. Ty gets a local beer and Nate just gets water. He tries to hide behind his menu. He’s been dreading the inevitable conversation with Ty about his sexuality. He really hopes it doesn’t get in the way of their friendship. That’s what he’s most afraid of, but he also doesn’t want it to get in the way of their team dynamic. Also, how did he find out? Did Gabe tell him? Did Max?  
He looks up at Tyson is staring at him. He’s… he’s staring the way Nate has seen Sid stare at Zhenya, when Zhenya isn’t looking. No. It can’t be. “What?” he asks.  
Ty shakes his head. “This place does have good food, but is it really taking you that long to decide?”  
Nate blushes, mostly because he hasn’t even glanced at what’s actually on the menu.  
Ty laughs. “Oh man, rookie. You are just handing me reasons to chirp you.”  
“Hey, that’s not fair. It’s not like I’ve been here before.”  
That just makes Ty laugh more. “Fine, rookie. I won’t mention it to the boys. But, go with the buffalo burger. It’s really good.”  
From there, conversation flows easily. They mostly talk about hockey. Tyson tells Nate about Kelowna and Jamie and Jordie Benn. Nate tells Ty about growing up with Sidney Crosby and The Mooseheads. He also tells Ty about his dogs back home, Henry and Oscar, that he hated to leave behind. Henry is an old golden retriever that’s been his basically since birth. Oscar is a little younger, but not much. He loves the old dogs, and misses them to death. Nate does end up ordering the buffalo burger with fries, mostly because he never actually looked at the menu. Tyson lets him sip from his beer. Overall, it’s a really good time, well, maybe not all that great for Nate’s feelings, but whatever. He can deal with those later. Before they leave, Tyson takes a selfie with Nate and posts it to Instagram with some ridiculous hash-tags about the waitress and bubble butts.  
It isn’t long before they’re loading the plane for their first road trip. Ty sits down next to Nate like it’s the most normal thing in the world before he starts yelling at Matt for one reason or another. Nate smiles and relaxes into his seat. He’s made two friends and two others who have his back if he wants to hook up. He can do this professional hockey thing.  
He’s a little upset to find his roommate is Gabe, but then it very thankful. He hasn’t hooked up since before Jo and certainly not since he’s been in Denver. The knowing look in Gabe’s eye when they walk in together tell him everything.  
He does pick up that night, only after long extensive lies to teammates about being tired and not wanting to go out. Gabe finally steps in a says, “Let the rookie be,” with an arm around Nate’s neck. He texts Gabe the name of the bar, and tells him not to come back too early. He decides against texting Max, and if Gabe wants to tell him, fine.  
He has an under 21 wrist band, but he quickly finds a guy willing to buy him as much alcohol as he wants. He dances on the dancefloor and kisses three guys before he finally drags one back to his hotel room. He tells the guy no marks and then lets him fuck Nate into the mattress. He cleans up Nate and himself with a washcloth before leaving with a kiss and no question of exchanging numbers. Nate texts Gabe that he can come back before hopping into the shower for the second time that night. It felt good to be fucked again. It’s been a few months since Jo. But, all he could think about the entire time was Ty. He lets his hands trail over his torso, touching the places the guy touched. Nate imagines Ty’s hands instead and almost instantly is sporting another hard on. It’s not that difficult, being eighteen and all. So he gets himself off again in the shower, Ty’s name on his lips. He rests his head on the wall afterwards, letting the water wash the come down the drain. He actually cleans himself then, avoiding every thought of Tyson that passes through his brain.  
Gabe is back by the time Nate gets out of the shower. “Have a good night?” he asks casually.  
Nate nods, disappearing under his covers, back turned toward Gabe.  
Things go on like this for a while. Nate and Ty hanging out, getting lunch, playing video games, sitting next to each other on the plane. Gabe continues to allow Nate to hook up when he wants. He doesn’t do it a lot, maybe once a trip. The other nights he goes out with the team. He sits squished on one side by the wall, the other by Ty. By the time he’s drunk, Ty has one arm slung around him and Nate’s face is smushed in the crook of Ty neck. He always smells so good. Nate never knows if it’s his soap or just his smell or a combination of both, but it makes him just as high as the drinks.  
Sometime in the middle of November before the break for American Thanksgiving, Nate is over at Gabe’s apartment, after morning skate. They get into bed to take their pregame nap, and Nate takes a picture of Gabe sleeping in the low light of the room. Even in the dark, Nate can still see Gabe’s stupid smirk on his face there because of some chirp. Nate posts it without a second thought captioning it, “Nap time with my friend Gabe.”  
Later at the game, Ty isn’t talking to him. It isn’t exactly rare. Sometimes he gets this way before a game. He gets in his zone a little quicker than normal for whatever reason. Nate brushes it off and gets ready in a similar fashion. But, his silence continues through warm up. They don’t do their normal routine together. He doesn’t talk after warm up. Or on the bench. It’s putting Nate on edge. He always feels off when Tyson doesn’t talk to him. He knows it’s because of his damn feelings that he promised himself he wouldn’t feed, but it happened anyway. Gabe puts a hand on his leg to stop its shaking. When Nate looks up, his captain is giving him a look. He doesn’t know what’s going on. But, looking over at Max, Nate can see that he does. So Max didn’t tell the captain about Ty. Maybe it’s for the better. Nate glances at Ty, and Ty looks away quickly, face tight, before scrambling over the boards. There’s this sinking feeling in his gut.  
After the game, Nate decides he’s hooking up. He sends the up arrow emoji to Gabe which has been their symbol for it. He sends back a thumbs up. Nate doesn’t even try to talk to Ty as he strips and showers. He hurries out of the locker room, eager to find someone to fuck all thoughts of Ty out of his head. He’s never been to a gay bar in Denver. He only hooks up on the road. It’s easier that way. But, tonight he has no choice. It isn’t long before he’s drunk and dancing with whoever will have him. He’s making out with some guy as they wait for a cab when he sees him. Ty is coming out of a bar just two doors down, looking a little less plastered than Nate. His eyes are boring straight into Nate’s. Holy shit. His best friend just found out he’s gay. He pushes the guy away and stumbles toward Ty, even as his would-be-hook-up yells after him. Tyson turns away and gets into the next possible cab. It drives away before Nate is even halfway to Ty. Nate grabs the next possible cab and gives Ty’s address. He has the absolute worst feeling in his gut, like nothing is going to go right. But he has to do this. Plastered or not.  
At the apartment complex, the doorman lets him in without question. He’s been here enough it isn’t a problem. He pounds on Tyson’s fifth floor door. After a minute or so, he tries again. After five tries, Ty finally yanks open the door.  
“Go away Nate.” He tries to close the door, but somehow, Nate manages to get his hand on the door and stop him.  
“No, we need to talk about this.”  
“There’s nothing to talk about. Go home. Gabe is probably wondering where you are. Hope he knows you kissed some other dude.”  
Nate is too stunned to stop Tyson from closing the door this time. Once he comes to his sense (if they can be come to him drunk) he pounds on the door again.  
“Nate seriously. People are trying to sleep,” Ty says when he opens the door again. “One of those people is me, by the way.”  
Nate shakes his head and muscles into Tyson’s apartment.  
“What the fuck, Nate?” Tyson yells, door falling shut behind him.  
“We… we need to talk about this,” Nate slurs.  
“There’s nothing to fucking talk about. You’re in some weird relationship with Gabe where he lets you hook up with other dudes. It doesn’t really concern me. What is there to talk about?” His voice is low and seems calm, but even drunk, Nate can tell there’s something not right there.  
“Ty,” Nate starts.  
“No, Nate you’re drunk. Go home. Please.” There’s a plead in Ty’s voice that makes him hurt inside. It makes his heart hurt.  
“No Ty. I’m… I’m not in a relationship with Gabe. Why the fuck would you think that?”  
Ty just shakes his head. “Go home, Nate. I’ll call Gabe, if you’re that drunk.”  
Nate stands there, not quite processing what’s going on. Ty thinks he’s dating Gabe? What the fuck happened? How did this happen? Before he knows it, there’s a knock at the door, and he’s be slightly manhandled into Gabe’s car. He doesn’t remember much after that, just getting into bed


	2. Chapter Two

The next morning his head is pounding. He sits up slowly, and suddenly bolts to the bathroom. He hurls for a good five minutes. He doesn’t look at it as he flushes the toilet and washes his mouth. There’s a large glass of water and a bottle of Aspirin on his bedside table. He makes a mental note to thank Max later. He takes the pills and lays back down. It’s not until the smells of cooking food comes wafting through that he finally gets up. Max is sitting at the kitchen bar and Cynthia is making whatever it is she’s making.  
“Hey sport. How you feeling?” Max asks, sipping from a glass.  
“My head is killing me,” Nate groans.  
Max laughs and Cynthia giggles. “It better, after what I heard happened.” Max pauses. “Kid, how much do you remember?”  
Nate thinks, scratching his head. He remembers telling Gabe he was picking up. He thinks the decision was because Ty was ignoring him, but that’s a little fuzzy, and that’s before the alcohol. He remembers the club. He remembers some of the alcohol and some dancing, but that’s about it. “Uh, probably not everything.”  
“What’s the last thing?”  
Nate rubs his face. “Uh… dancing… I think.”  
Max takes a deep breath and leans back in his chair.  
“What?” Nate asks. “What did I do?”  
Max sighs and looks at Cynthia.  
“What Max?” Nate demands.  
“I think we better call Gabe.”  
Gabe is in their living room not ten minutes later. He looks super uncomfortable, and is ringing his hands between his legs. He occasionally glances up at Nate, but he quickly looks away. Max is now suckling a bottle of beer. Cynthia is still cooking, choosing to stay out of the conversation entirely.  
“So…” Nate prompts.  
“This is all you, man,” Max says motioning to Gabe.  
“Tell me what you remember,” Gabe says after a second, still not looking at Nate.  
Nate rolls his eyes. “I remember telling you I was going out to hook up. I remember some dude buying me drinks, and I remember lots of dirty dancing. That’s it.”  
Gabe sighs and rubs a hand over his face several times. “Oh god. This is bad. This is really bad.”  
“What did I do Gabe? Seriously, what happened?” Nate’s actually starting to worry. Did he hurt someone? Did he have sex with someone weird?  
“Well apparently, you were kissing someone and getting ready to get in a cab, when you saw Ty. So, you ran toward him. He got in a cab and you followed him back to his apartment.”  
Oh no. Nate puts his head in his hands. He knows where this is going. “I came out to Ty. Great. He’s not okay with it, is he?”  
Gabe gives Max a look that indecipherable. “Yes, you came out. I guess that comes with saying he saw you making out with a guy. But, for some reason, he thought you and I were together.”  
“What?” Nate’s head snaps up.  
“Yeah, like I don’t know where he got that idea. I mean it’s not like I’ve got a girlfriend at home. She’s pretty pissed.”  
Nate is breathing hard. He can’t think. “He’s mad at me.” It’s not a question. It should be because he doesn’t remember Ty being mad at him, but he’s got this feeling in the pit of his stomach that Ty is more than mad at him.  
Gabe nods. “Yeah, he’s pretty pissed. I don’t know why. I explained to him that we’re not a thing. He’s still pretty pissed and I don’t get it.”  
“Is it the gay thing?” Nate is scared of the answer to this one.  
“No. No, it’s definitely not that, so I honestly don’t know what it is.”  
Nate feels like he wants to cry. He knew this was going to happen, though. He knew once Ty knew about his sexuality, they wouldn’t be friends anymore.  
“Maybe you should talk to him,” Max suggests, taking another swig of beer.  
“I… I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Nate murmurs.  
“Why not?” Max asks. “It’s not like things could get worse.”  
And, while that makes Nate really mad, that Max thinks this is funny, he has a point. There’s really no way in hell this could get any worse. Ty already doesn’t want to talk to him. That honestly the worst thing he can imagine, other than never playing hockey again.  
Nate nods, because what else can he do at this point.  
“Want me to take you?” Gabe asks.  
Nate nods again, because he can’t think about doing this on his own. He’d chicken out. He knows it. If nothing else, he can say I told you so to Sid.  
From there, they quickly finish up and get into Gabe’s car. Nate is fidgeting, a lot. He can’t stop moving. He’s never been this nervous in his life, not even at the draft. Not even when he came out to his parent, and that was pretty fucking bad.  
“Will you chill?” Gabe snaps. He must be feeling pretty shitty about the whole situation too, but Nate barely registers that. “I’m about to lose my best friend, shithead.” Gabe glares at him, but doesn’t say anything else.  
They finally get to Tyson’s apartment complex. This is where he’d chicken out if he were on his own, but Gabe shoves him out of the car. “Go. I’ll be down here when you’re done.”  
Nate hesitates on the sidewalk, but finally goes up. He hesitates again in front of Tyson’s door, but does knock, softly. He waits and nothing happens. He’s beginning to think Ty isn’t home when the door opens. Tyson’s eyes widen a little in surprise. “What are you doing here?”  
“I figured, well, Gabe figured, we needed to talk.”  
Tyson takes a deep breath and steps aside, so Nate can come in. “So, you weren’t wasted enough to forget last night?” Ty asks.  
“Oh hell no. I don’t remember anything past dancing in the club,” Nate laughs. He clears his throat and scratches at his head. “But, uh, Gabe told me what happened.”  
Tyson sighs and sits down. “Look, I’m sorry about the you and Gabe thing. I just didn’t know what to think ya know?”  
Nate nods. “I get it. It’s not exactly… well whatever.”  
“Yeah…” Ty scrubs at his face. “So, we good?” he asks.  
“Uh… yeah. Yeah, if that’s what you want.”  
Ty nods. “I’m not like… against you. Definitely not. Can we just be friends again?”  
Nate nods. “Of course. That’s all I want.”  
Tyson smiles up at him. “Cool… Uh, you wanna play video games? No practice today and all.”  
“Yeah. I’ll tell Gabe he can leave and order us some pizza.”  
Ty pops up from his chair. “Sounds good. I’ll the get the game going.”  
Nate calls Gabe, tells him he and Ty are cool. Then, he calls a pizza place, their regular because he and Ty have a regular pizza place, get their regular two large pizzas with as much meat as they can put on them and gives them Ty’s address like it’s his own.  
That’s how Nate spends his afternoon, eating pizza and getting grease of Tyson’s couch and whooping his ass at NHL 2010. Nate could whoop Sid’s ass at this game, mostly because Sid spent more time getting better at actual hockey than playing the damn game, but Nate still thinks of it as an accomplishment.  
He ends up crashing on Ty’s couch. He was too exhausted from all that worrying, and then the energy it took to play video games. It pretty much wiped him out. He remembers to text Max before he falls asleep.  
He’s jolted awake in the morning by a clatter of noise, which he finds out after opening his eyes, is Ty stumbling into the table with empty beer bottles.  
“Seriously dude?” Nate groans, rolling over to shove his face into the back of the couch.  
“Sorry.” Tyson voice is rough from sleep. His hair is a mess and his cheeks flushed. That’s half the reason Nate is pressing his face into the couch. Tyson looks really hot in the morning. The other half is light hurting his eyes.  
Quickly the smell of coffee and the sound of Ty’s Keurig gets Nate to sit up. Ty groggily hands Nate a warm, steaming mug. Nate thanks him with a smile and takes a big sip. They sit on the couch, in silence, slowly drinking themselves into awakeness.  
“Shit!” Nate exclaims.  
“What?” Ty asks.  
“We have morning skate.”  
Ty gives him a look of panic. “Your stuff is at Talbo’s isn’t it?”  
Nate nods.  
“Well, let’s get going.” Ty hands him his empty cup. “Wash those while I get ready and then we’ll go to your place.”  
Nate does as he says, ignoring the fact that this is all super domestic. He’s taken aback a little though, by how hot Ty looks, coming out of his room, dressed in just an under armor t-shirt and sweats.  
“Come on man!” he yells, shouldering his bag. Nate scrambles to catch up. They drive to Nate’s, jamming to Nate’s favorite rapper, because shotgun always is the DJ. He texts Max, to let him know they’re coming. Max texts back he’s already at the rink, but he brought Nate’s skate bag. Nate relays the message to Ty and he makes a sharp turn toward the Pepsi Center. They make it, just as the first players are walking out onto the ice. Nate’s bag is sitting by his locker, and he makes a mental note to thank Max later.  
Out on the ice, the guys are already going when Ty and Nate get out there. As soon as their skates touch the ice, the chirping starts.  
“Aww look at them.”  
“Had a good night did ya?”  
“Make up sex is the best.” The last comment was Matt.  
“Oh shut the fuck up,” Ty says, slashing at Matt’s shins.  
“Did you really not expect us to get you guys good? Heard everything from the good ol’ captain and Talbo.”  
Nate gulps. “Everything?”  
“Yup! How you two fought because of that damn picture about nap time with Gabe and Ty thought you were no longer his best friend/lover.”  
Nate sighs in relief and rolls his eyes.  
“Yeah. Yeah. Just hope I don’t smash you against the boards, Duchene,” Ty says.  
“Sticking up for your boy. S’cute.”  
Ty scoffs and lifts a puck towards Matt. That starts a chase around the rink. Nate sighs and picks up the passing drill with Gabe.  
“You didn’t think I would tell the team about your sexuality, did you?” Gabe asks quietly over the pucks their passing close together.  
“I mean, Sid told you. I didn’t know if you would do the same thing.”  
“I promise I won’t. I will support you if you want to, but I won’t make you.”  
Nate smiles at Gabe. “Thanks, man.”  
They play well that night but don’t win. Nate’s a little pissed about it, no points on the game and all. So, he goes out with the boys with no intention to pick up. He slips into the booth against the wall. Generally, Gabe has been sitting next to him, especially when Ty isn’t one hundred percent, but Ty slips in next to Nate before Gabe can. He presses up against Nate in every possible way: shoulder, knees. He even has his hand on Nate’s thigh. Nate can’t help the butterflies that flutter in his stomach. He can’t press back. Ty’s got to be doing this because he wants to be Nate’s friend again. Nate knows it. He doesn’t want to think anything else. He can’t think about anything else.  
They get through the night like that. Ty and Nate pressed up against each other like they could never be separated. They get some chirps for it, but ultimately they’re both too drunk to care.  
At the end of the night, they have to be forcibly separated, Gabe shoving Ty in a cab and giving the cabby directions, and Max manhandling Nate into their car. Nate complains the entire time that he wants to be with Ty and how he doesn’t want to leave him.  
Unfortunately, he remembers everything the next morning. Absolutely everything. And Max ribs him for it all morning. Just when Nate thinks he’s heard the end of it, practice happens. All the guys are making kissy faces at him and joking and laughing. Nate doesn’t see Ty until he’s out on the ice, and every time someone mentions last night, their faces get even redder than it normally is at practice.  
“Hey, about last night,” Ty says as they’re walking out. “I’m really sorry. I know you just wanna be friends-“  
“Don’t worry about it,” Nate says, cutting him off. He really doesn’t want to hear about how easily he could fuck up this great friendship he’s got going. “We were drunk, that’s all.”  
Ty nods, and they both get into his car to spend the rest of the day together.  
If they’re not at the rink, they’re hanging at Tyson’s place with Ryan O’Rielly and Jamie McGuinn. Generally playing NHL and eating. If they’re not there, they’re at a bar with the team. And if Nate’s not there, he’s reluctantly at the Talbot residence.  
The first week in December, Tyson buys tickets last minute to see Nate’s favorite rapper in concert. He buys four tickets and he invites Jamie and Ryan. He tells Nate about the tickets last, having kept it a secret from him.  
“You what?” Nate exclaims when Ty tells him.  
“I got us tickets. We’re going with Jaime and Ryan in two days.”  
Nate hops up from the bench in front of his locker and wraps Ty in a huge bear hug. “I love you! You’re the absolute best.”  
Ty chuckles at the looks they’re getting from around the locker room. “Hey, buddy, I can’t breathe,” Ty heaves, tapping Nate’s shoulder. Nate is blushing profusely and ducks his head and won’t look at anyone.  
They have the best time at the concert. Nate takes way too many videos and hates to admit that most of them are Ty. Tyson took a few too, also mostly of Nate, but he can’t help it. Nate’s face and bubbly excitement from being so close to his favorite rapper are so fascinating and contagious, that Ty really can’t help it.  
Nate crashes at Tyson’s after ditching Guinn and Ryan. He wakes up face smushed between Tyson’s chest and the pillow. The solid weight of Ty’s arms is around him, and Nate doesn’t know what to do with those emotions. He tries to wiggle away, but Tyson’s grip tightens like a vise. Nate calms his nerves and slows his breathing and relaxes back into it. When he wakes up next, they’re late for practice. He and Tyson hustle through morning routines and luckily, Nate’s bag is at Ty’s apartment this time. (Nate doesn’t want to admit it’s because he’s spent the last three nights either in Tyson’s bed or on his couch or on his floor. So far, Tyson hasn’t seemed to mind.)  
He hears a little griping from Roy and plenty of chirping from the boys. The heat of it comes from Max. He gives the boys so much ammunition just by mentioning how he hasn’t even seen his billet son in three days. That causes plenty of hoots and hollers and cat calls. Nate blushes and Ty shoves Ryan into the boards.  
Nate has two hours after practice to eat and pack and get to the airport. Somehow he manages to be in Max’s car as he’s pulling away from the house.  
Ty drops down in the seat next to Nate on the plane. He puts his carryon bag under his seat and drapes his jacket over the chair. Nate doesn’t even realize what he’s doing until Ty is giving him a funny look. He looks down and finds their fingers laced together. He pulls away blushing. Luckily, none of the guys saw it.  
When they get to their hotel, Nate picks up the keys to his and Gabe’s room like he always does, but when he gets to the right floor and looks at the hotel brochure the keys are in, the other name doesn’t say Gabriel Landeskog. It says Tyson Barrie. Ty is right behind, looking at something on his phone like it’s completely normal for them to room together.  
“Dude,” Nate says. “What the hell?”  
“What?” Ty asks.  
“Did you ask for this?” he asks, waving the brochure in the air.  
Ty nods. “That okay?”  
Nate smiles and nods, because of course it’s okay. It’s Tyson. They get some chirps about it on the ice and in the locker room the next morning, but most everyone is more focused on the game at hand.  
They lose the first three of their roadie. It fucking sucks. Then, Ty suggests they take their pregame nap together for the fourth one. Nate is totally not opposed. They do sleep in different beds, but it’s nice.  
Nate wakes up before Tyson. He loves the way Ty looks so young when he sleeps. Nate pulls out his phone to take a picture and that’s right when Ty starts to wake up. He yawns and stretches, giving Nate the perfect opportunity. He snaps and picture and posts it to Instagram captioning it “Nap time with t-brutes” and tagged him.  
Ty smacks his lips like he always does, and smiles dopily at Nate. “What?” he asks, voice rough with sleep.  
They win the game.


	3. Chapter Tree

After several more games, some good, some bad, comes the Mile-High Gala: a prestigious event hosted by The Avalanche, the Nuggets (Denver’s basketball team), the Colorado Mammoth (Denver’s lacrosse team), and the Colorado Rapids (Denver’s soccer team). Fans buy tickets, dress up, and get to eat fancy food and meet the players at the Pepsi Center. Nate is a little nervous.  
“Dude, chill,” Max tells him. “It’s a fun night. The fans are great. There’s good food. Champagne. No one’s gonna card you. You’re on the team. Just dress nice.”  
Nate dresses in one of his nicer game day suits and slicks back his hair.  
“Dude, your hair,” Max chirps while laughing.  
“What’s wrong with my hair?” Nate asks.  
Max just laughs. “Let’s go.” The three of them (Cynthia included) get into the car and drive to the Pepsi Center. Plenty of players from all four teams are already there. Nate finds Tyson and sticks near him for the night. Jamie McGuinn interviews all the guys with really fun and silly questions about halfway through the night. Nate manages not to embarrass himself, there or with the fans. All in all he has a really good night. He thinks it might become one of his favorite traditions, if he gets to stay with the Avs.  
They win some more games, they lose some more games, but Nate is super excited for the Christmas break and also super not. It means five days Tyson-less. Ever since their fight, they haven’t been separate for more than a few hours, when Nate occasionally goes home to sleep. He knows it’s not exactly healthy. It’s a really co-dependent relationship they have going.  
Ty is with Nate when he’s packing. They’re both reluctant to talk about it. Ty doesn’t say much while Nate is packing. He just lays on his bed, playing with his phone.  
“Is Jo going to be there?”  
“Huh?” Nate asks, looking up from his closet.  
“Is Jo going to be there?” Ty asks again. He sitting now, legs swung around the side of the bed.  
“No. He’s going back to Quebec. Why?”  
“Just curious.”  
“It’s not like it would matter. Jo and I are friends. You and I are friends.”  
“Is that all you and Jo are?” Ty asks.  
Nate scrunches his brow. “Ty…”  
“No Nate. I want to know. Are you and Jo just friends?”  
Nate nods. “Yeah.”  
“Were you something?”  
Nate nods. “Yeah. He broke it off at the end of the summer. He didn’t want to deal with being gay in the NHL or a long distance relationship or both.” Nate sniffles, trying not to cry. He hasn’t thought about Jo since Sid mentioned him in early September. He hadn’t even called him like he told Sid he would.  
Tyson’s arms are around him in an instant. “Hey. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. I shouldn’t have asked that.”  
Nate shakes his head. “It’s okay. It’s just I haven’t even thought about him in a while.”  
They stay there, in the middle of Nate’s room, just holding on to one another. Nate doesn’t know how long they’re there or when they end up sitting in a pile on to floor.  
Nate finally wipes the drying tears from his face. “I have to finish packing.” He struggles out of Ty’s arms.  
“No do it tomorrow.”  
And just like that he’s being pulled to bed by Ty.  
He does finish packing in the morning, and Tyson takes him to the airport. They hug and Ty whispers in his ear, “Have fun on the island.”  
“Have fun in Victoria,” Nate whispers back. With that they part. Nate looks back once to wave, and Ty is staring at him, like Nate wished he could stare at Ty.  
It’s weird to be on a plane without sitting next to Tyson. It doesn’t feel right. He uses the time to sleep because, even in Tyson’s arms, he barely slept last night.  
His parents pick him up from the airport. He missed them so much. His mom is crying as the hug. His dad is looking a little emotional too. “We’re so proud of you, son,” he says when they hug.  
He hears his dog Henry before he sees him. When he gets inside, Henry is all over him, barking and whining. Nate doesn’t move from the doorway for a good ten minutes, just playing and petting his best friend.  
He eats way too much food at dinner. But, his parents know what to expect. They raised a hockey player. He tries to apologize to his mother for how much food he’s eating, but she won’t have it. She ruffles his hair and send him to bed. The house looks just like it always did before Christmas. It does make Nate happy that he came back. It’s been a long time since he’s had this much time with his family.  
The next day he spends playing street hockey with Sid, Taylor, and some neighborhood kids. Afterwards, the three of them are herded into the Crosby household. Trina is waiting with mugs and mugs of hot chocolate.  
The Crosby siblings had always been really close, which is how the three of them end up cuddled against one another in front of the fire, sipping their hot chocolate.  
“So, how’s the crush going?” Sid asks.  
“Nate’s got a crush?” Taylor squeals. Of course the teenage girl would be interested in Nate’s love life.  
“Yeah, I have a crush, I guess. He’s good. We got into a fight. But, we figured it out.”  
“I told you so.”  
Nate rolls his eyes, but lets his head sink into the crook of Sid’s shoulder. “He’s making it hard, Sid. He pushes up against me on nights out with the team. He insists that I sleep at his place, but then sleeps with me in his bed. We get chirped so bad anymore because we’re never apart. I don’t know what to do, Sid.”  
“Have you asked him what he wants?”  
Nate shakes his head. “He asked me what I wanted though, after our fight.”  
“What did you say?” Sid pushes.  
“I told him I wanted to be friends.”  
“Nate!” Taylor whines.  
“What Taylor? He’s not gay.”  
“You sure about that buddy? ‘Cause it sure doesn’t seem like it.”  
“No, he’s definitely isn’t, squirt. And, if he was, he would’ve told me if he wanted to get together. I kinda came out to him in a pretty awful way.”  
“What happened, Kid?” Sid asks.  
“I was in a bar and going home with someone and he caught us making out.”  
“Oh Kid.” Sid pulls him close in sympathy.  
“But, really Nate, I think you might be missing something. From what you’ve told us, it really sounds like he’s into you.”  
“No. He’s not into me, Taylor.”  
Taylor makes a face at him, but doesn’t say anything. The three of them sit there in silence, letting the fire crackle. It feels good. It feels like home. The Crosby siblings were always part of Nate’s family, in his mind anyway. They even celebrated holidays and birthdays together. In two days’ time, they would continue that tradition and get together for Christmas dinner. This year is sure to be bigger than any of the others. The Crosby’s are hosting this year. All the Crosby’s are coming and all the Mackinnon’s are coming. Nate’s sure there will be at least three tables involved. But, for now, he relaxes into the warmth and security of his “half way” siblings.  
The next day is more of the same, but he gets dressed up and goes with his parents to Christmas church. He’s never really been one to go to church, but he goes with his parents and the Crosby’s. He sits next to Sid and Taylor. The three of them are basically the devil together in a church. The shove each other and chirp each other in thought. It’s a lot of fun, and Nate loves his “half way” siblings.  
After church they say good night, but know they will see each other in the morning. It feels like they’re kids again. His mom gives him a stern look as they get in the car, but he smiles at her and it melts away to a smile as well. The three of them have been trouble since the beginning. Nate’s love for hockey comes from being the younger brother to Sid, the same way Taylor’s love for the sport comes from her older brother as well. When Taylor was born, the three of them were really inseparable.  
That night he takes a picture with Henry and posts it. He captions it “Merry Christmas Eve from Henry and I :)”.  
Nate wakes up to the smell of coffee. It’s the first time he wasn’t the first one up on Christmas morning. His dad is putzing around the kitchen, waiting for the coffee to finish dripping, in his Christmas PJs. He’s worn them ever since Nate was a kid. He sits down at the kitchen bar. He dad acknowledges him with a smile and pours him a cup of coffee. Nate pets Henry’s head, who has come out to sit beside him.  
Nate’s mom appears a moment later. They spend some time waking up and sipping coffee.  
They then take to opening “Santa’s” presents. The load up the rest after breakfast to take to Sid’s house. All the presents for the Crosbys and the rest of Nate’s family are piled in the back of the car. Nate is dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a button down. His hair is slicked back, although Sid will tell him it really doesn’t look any better.  
The Crosby house is already in chaos. There are gigantic piles of presents under the tree. Some of Sid’s younger cousins are running around. All kinds of Crosby family are piled on whatever available furniture. It’s obvious Trina and Troy set up the table the night before, because there would be no way it would happen today. There’s already a smattering of Mackinnon family as well. Everyone helps Nate bring in their presents. Afterwards he’s passed from person to person to be hugged and congratulated on being drafted and the like. He finally finds himself on Sid’s lap, the only available seating in the cramped house.  
It’s not like the house is small by any means. There’s just too many people crammed into the downstairs area, that was even designed for large get-togethers like this. Sid wraps his arms around Nate anyway, and rests his chin on Nate’s shoulder. Taylor sees them, which is really unfortunate, because she body-slams herself onto Nate and Sid, and Taylor is not a small girl. She a muscular, strong, goalie. And definitely not one to be messed with. Her elbow finds the softest spot of Nate’s stomach and a foot must land on Sid’s tender spot because he’s groaning and doubling over best he can with Taylor and Nate on top of him.  
“Really, Taylor?” Sid heaves.  
“Duh! You guys gave me the perfect opportunity!”  
Nate sighs, but leans back into Sid and Taylor does the same. Nate’s mom snaps a picture, causing all the women in the room to take pictures. Several of which include Taylor jumping up and running away. She hates pictures, and for once, Nate is glad.  
More family shows up, and it’s finally time for dinner. Nate claims his spot next to Sid and Taylor. The two families somehow manage to only use two tables, which must be some kind of miracle. There are heaping dishes of food in front of Nate and he just wants to dig in. Trina knows how to cook for the masses. She raised two hockey players and half raised a third. Like the Mackinnon house, there was always a massive amount of food at the Crosby house. The winner of street hockey determined the house that was eaten at after. Generally, if Sid or Taylor’s team won, they would eat at Nate’s house, and vice versa.  
It isn’t long after prayer, that Nate, Sid, and Taylor plow through two plates each. Nate is reaching to refill his again, but his mother is giving him a look.  
“Let him have more food,” Trina says. “That’s the point of a feast. Let the athletes eat.”  
Nate dives back in, getting more food. Taylor is giggling at him, but fairly silently, because she’s got a mouthful of mashed potatoes. Nate makes a face at her, before shoving food into his mouth. He loves both his mother’s and Trina’s food.  
After dinner is dessert, and Nate east just about as much dessert as he did dinner. But, he can’t beat Sid. Sid’s sweet tooth causes him to eat probably two times the dessert that Nate does.  
Then, the family gathers around the tree, sitting on whatever surface is available. Sid, Taylor, and Nate pile in a corner, practically sitting on one another. The younger cousins distribute package after package. Nate ends the day with a new watch from Sid. A Pittsburgh Penguins puck from Taylor. (roll eyes). Trina and Troy got him a sweet pair of cufflinks, since he’s suddenly wearing a ton of suits. His family gets him a smattering of things: gift cards, money, Avs gear (like he doesn’t have enough), and plenty of candy, although it doesn’t quite amount to the candy pile Sid has acquired. He looks plenty happy sucking on a candy cane. Taylor is making some off handed lewd joke about his sexuality. Sid just rolls his eyes and shakes his head.  
This is home. It makes Nate really happy to be here again. He’s really missed his family Christmas’s, spending the last few with billet families. He leans into Sid’s shoulder and just soaks it in.  
It doesn’t last long, though. Soon enough, he’s on a plane back to Denver. Tyson is waiting by the bag carousels. Nate has to refrain from running to hug him. They do hug, and it’s fantastic. Nate really doesn’t want to let go. But, he does, because they’re just friends, they’re in an airport. Ty grabs Nate’s bag and they head out to his car.  
Tyson is silent on the way back to Nate’s place. His leg is bouncing the way it does when he’s really nervous.  
“Everything ok?” Nate asks, when they get there.  
Ty just nods. “See you at practice tomorrow.”  
Nate gets out of the car, confused. He’s never seen Ty like that except before really crazy games. So, first thing he does when he gets into Max’s house, is call Gabe. Max isn’t home, so it’s fairly easy. Nate lies back on his bed and waits for Gabe to pick up.  
“Hey, Nate. What’s kicking?”  
“Is Tyson okay?”  
“Yeah, I think so. Why?”  
“He just seemed really off today when he picked me up from the airport.”  
“Things were good with you guys before you left, right?” Gabe asks.  
“Yeah, of course. A little too good actually,” Nate says. He fiddles with a puck, one he remembers now, Tyson gave him.  
“What do you mean by that?”  
“He just asked me about Jo and we ended up sleeping in the same bed again.”  
Gabe laughs. “Sounds like he might be having a little bit of a gay crisis there, buddy.”  
Nate shakes his head. “Stop that. Everyone keeps saying that.”  
“Well, maybe you better listen. Look, I’m at the rink for a workout. I’ll call you later. We can hang out and play video games, if you’re looking for bro time without Ty.”  
“Sounds good.” Nate’s already dethatched from the conversation. He can’t believe how many people think Tyson is actually gay. He couldn’t be, could he?  
He sits on that for a while. He doesn’t realize how long he actually spent in silence until his phone is ringing with Gabe’s name on the screen.  
“Hey dude.”  
“Hey. I’m gonna head over. That okay?”  
“Yeah of course man. I’ll order some pizza. With the way you drive, it’ll be here before you.”  
Gabe laughs, but doesn’t saying anything else before he hangs up, which means Nate is right. Nate orders two meat lovers, which is what they normally get. Gabe does show up about the same time as the pizza, beer in hand. Nate silently thanks him, as he signs the bill for the pizza.  
The start eating and playing video games. About a pizza in, Max and Cynthia get back. Max immediately drops on the couch and takes Nate’s beer from him.  
“Hey!” Nate exclaims, pushing Gabe, trying to gain the advantage in the game.  
“You aren’t that much of an adult yet,” Max chides, taking a long swig from the can.  
“Give it back,” Nate says through clenched teeth.  
“Nah. You look a little too busy anyway.”  
A few minutes later, Nate jumps up in victory. He grabs a new beer and makes sure Max is watching when he takes a long pull.  
“Why isn’t Tyson here?” Max asks. “Aren’t you guys, like, attached at the hip, or something?”  
Nate takes another swig of beer to avoid the question.  
“Tyson is having a gay crisis, and Nate doesn’t want to believe it,” Gabe says through a mouth of pizza.  
“Oh. Nate go help your man out. Go. Now. I’m serious,” Max says when Nate starts to give him a look.  
He stands there for a bit, until Max makes a “go” motion with his can of beer. Nate knows he’s not getting out of this one. He goes and puts on his shoes. He’s out the door with his keys seconds later. He’s hesitating in the parking lot of Tyson’s apartment building. The car is off. The keys are in his hands. He’s looking at the key Ty gave him about a month ago, when he started leaving stuff everywhere. He runs his thumb over it, thinking. The only times people give out their keys, is one if the other person is taking care of the house for a bit, or two if the other person is the significant other. Nate takes a deep breath and gets out of the car. Sure, there are plenty of times to turn back, all the way up until Nate’s knocked on Tyson’s door, but it doesn’t feel like it to Nate. He’s out of the car. He’s going to see this through.  
He’s going to unlock the door, when he sees it’s cracked. Then, he hears voices. He doesn’t mean to eavesdrop. He really doesn’t. He just about to push inside and announce that he’s there, when he hears his name. “But, Nate said he doesn’t want anything more than friends.” That distinctly Tyson’s voice.  
“Then, he’s being a shitty friend.” That is definitely Ryan. “I’ve seen the way he is around you. He’s clearly flirting.”  
“Have you ever seen him flirt with anyone else?”  
“No, because he’s so infatuated with you.”  
“Not true. I’ve seen him making out with other guys.”  
“Who says I’m wrong though. Maybe he thinks you’re straight and can never have you. You haven’t exactly been flirting back.”  
“I don’t want to ruin our friendship.”  
Well, shit. Nate pushes open the door and yells, “Ty!”  
“Shit,” he hears the whispered voices coming from the living room.  
“In here, Nate!” Ty calls back.  
When he gets to the living room, Ryan is standing up, with his coat over his arm. “I was just leaving dude. I’ll see you at practice tomorrow.” He smiles and winks at Nate, like he knows Nate was listening. Nate blushes and sits down in the chair across from Tyson.  
Tyson is looking at his hand, which are wringing. His face is red, and his hair is a mess. (But, let’s be honest. When is it not?)  
“Ty?” Nate asks tentatively.  
“Did you hear any of that?” Ty asks quietly.  
Nate doesn’t want to lie. That overrides his fear that he was actually listening. He nods.  
Tyson takes a shuddering breath. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-“  
Nate cuts him off. “Shut up.”  
Tyson looks up. There’s hurt in his eyes. “What?”  
“I said shut up.”  
“What-“  
But Nate is on him in a second. He straddling Tyson’s lap. “Tell me to stop,” he says. He tips Ty’s face and kisses him. He kisses him good too. He runs his fingers through the hair at the nape of Ty’s neck. He scrapes his teeth along Tyson’s bottom lip. Ty moans, and gets his fists in Nate’s long hair. They’re both panting, breathing in each other’s air. Tyson is looking at him with this look of awe and adoration.  
They fit their lips together again, going a little slower. Ty moves a hand up Nate’s side, under his shirt. His cold hands make him shiver, but he doesn’t break the kiss, addicted to the way Ty tastes. Ty tweaks a nipple and Nate moans. He can’t help it. Ty takes advantage of that to slip his tongue into Nate’s mouth. God, it feels so good. Nate wraps an arm around Ty’s waist, pulling him closer. They’re flush against one another now, the only thing separating them is their clothes.  
“Bed?” Nate asks, pulling away.  
Ty nods, unable to form the words. Nate hoists Ty up and carries him to Tyson’s bedroom. Ty’s always been shorter, but he’s got a little more muscle mass than Nate so, they fall onto the bed together, laughing. Nate nuzzles the side of Tyson’s neck, just in such bliss to be doing this.  
They start struggling out of clothes, Tyson having more trouble with Nate on top of him. Nate helps get Tyson’s pants down and the two of them are in their boxer briefs. Nate takes a moment to admire Ty. He’s seen him plenty of times in the locker room, or even when they are getting ready for bed together. But now, he’s got him splayed out under him. It feels vastly different. Tyson seems to be looking his fill as well. His eyes are wide, puppy dog big, with that look of absolute awe. He runs a hand up Nate’s muscles stomach.  
Nate shivers, loving the way Ty touches him. “Oh God, Ty. I never thought I’d have this.” He drops down on his forearms, boxing in Tyson’s head to kiss him again. Ty thrusts his hips up, and their erections rub together through the thin fabric of underwear. Nate moans, and scrambles to get both off. His dick slaps his stomach as he hastily gets his briefs off. Tyson is whining under him.  
“Come… come on, Nate,” he heaves between breaths.  
Nate smirks and shimmies down between Tyson’s thick thighs and slowly pulls at the briefs. Tyson lets out a huge breath when his dick finally comes free. Now, it is Nate’s turn to be caught in awe. Tyson’s dick is thick and red. There’s a small bit of pearly pre-come beading at the head. Tyson is panting, the rise and fall of his chest brushing against the angry red head. Nate palms his own cock, loving the way Tyson looks at him.  
“Please, Nate,” Ty whines.  
“What do you want?”  
Tyson hums, unsure. That’s when it hits him. “You haven’t done this before have you? I mean… with a guy?”  
Tyson bites his lip. It gets Nate a little hot. He loves when Tyson does that, whether it’s on the ice or when they’re out to eat. Now, he knows that was always for him, or at least it has been for a little.  
“Ty?” He needs to hear it. They can’t go on without Nate knowing for sure.  
Tyson shakes his head. “No, Nate… Um… I don’t wanna ruin the mood or anything, but can we just… do… other stuff tonight? I don’t really want to… uh…” He looks away, face redder than it’s been all night.  
“Hey, hey.” Nate crawls back up to Tyson. He cradles Tyson’s face in a hand. “We do whatever you want. We can just do hand jobs, maybe blow jobs. Or you can fuck me, if you want. That’d be totally cool too.”  
Tyson chuckles, and Nate presses a quick kiss on the side of his lips. “Okay,” he says quietly.  
“Alright, so what do you want, babe?” Nate revels in the fact that he can call Tyson that.  
Tyson swallows. “Um… a blow job? Is that cool?”  
“Totally cool.” Nate smiles at him, tongue poking out. Tyson looks a little more relaxed, but not much. So Nate scoots down again. He runs his hand down Tyson’s chest, and around one of his pecs. He thumbs at the nipple, and Tyson’s breath hitches. Nate smirks and does it again. Nate can hear Ty holding back a moan when his hips twitch up. “Let me hear it, Ty,” he says twisting the nipple just a little. Ty moans, the sound reverberating, back arching up off the bed. Nate loves it. He loves that he gets to take Tyson apart like this. He leans down and attaches his mouth to the ignored nipples. Ty is making these little “ah ah” noises that Nate just loves.  
He trails his way down, leaving little kisses along the way. Tyson runs his hands through his hair. Nate has to pause to close his eyes and breathe, because Tyson really is here underneath him, and he really did just run his fingers through his hair.  
He opens his eyes, ready to absolutely ruin Tyson for any other guys out there. He prides himself his blow job skills. He and Jo had a lot to time together to learn. All he’s got to learn now is what Tyson really likes. He wraps his hand around the base of Tyson’s dick for the first time. Ty groans and pushes up into it. Nate puts a hand on his stomach and pushes him back down. He’s got to do this right. He hovers over the head for a second before going down. He goes all the way down to the root quickly before pulling back. Ty’s moans are pretty constant now. He mouths around the head, licking at the pre-come. Ty is trying to press up into his mouth, but he keeps his arm strong across Tyson’s hips.  
“More,” he breathes, getting his hands into Nate’s hair again.  
Nate pops off to say, “You can pull on my hair.” He goes back down and really starts working it. He mouths at the shaft, licking his way back to the head along the underside. He sinks down about halfway and comes back up. Ty’s dick isn’t that big, but damn it’s thick. It’s heavy on Nate’s tongue and stretches his mouth wide, just the way he likes. It also makes it sort of easier to go down all the way. It doesn’t gag him nearly as bad. He doesn’t really have a gag reflex anymore, from deep throating Jo so many times, but it does happen occasionally. Before long, he’s worked up a nice rhythm that’s really got Ty going. He’s fisting Nate’s hair tight and groaning every time Nate gets all the way down.  
Nate pulls off for a second to breathe. Some of his spit mixed with Ty’s pre-come comes away with him, like really stringy pizza. But, Tyson looks gorgeous under him. He’s glistening with sweat. His hair is a disaster, but Nate’s always loved that about Ty’s curls anyway. He looks absolutely debauched, and Nate loves it.  
“Nate,” Ty whines.  
“Okay, okay.” Nate goes back down, and stays all the way down for a few seconds. He comes back up, popping off just long enough for another breath before he starts his rhythm again.  
“I’m gonna… I’m gonna come,” Tyson pants. He tries to pull Nate off him, but Nate just sinks further down and takes it. He swallows every ounce of Ty’s come down. He pulls off when Ty is done, panting and utterly exhausted. Nate’s so close already. Just looking at Ty gets him that much closer. He strokes himself twice before he’s arching his back and coming all over Ty.  
He collapses next to Ty, panting just as hard.  
“Wow,” Ty breathes in Nate’s ear.  
Nate chuckles. “Yeah.”  
They lay there for a bit, before Tyson sits up, looking down at his come-covered stomach. “Shower?” he suggests.  
Nate nods, and Ty is pulling him up. They shower together, which takes longer than it should because Nate is palming Ty’s ass and pushing him around to be kissed. Ty pushes back, because he’s got more muscles, but he always let’s Nate win, lets himself be pushed up against the shower wall, and lets Nate fuck his tongue in and out of his mouth. They both end up coming before the shower is over, Nate holding both dicks in his hand, getting them off.  
They dry of and collapse in the bed, with sheets a lot cleaner than Nate would’ve guessed. He curls around Ty and whispers “good night” before falling asleep, happier than he’s been in a long time


	4. Chapter Four

Nate wakes up the next morning to Tyson’s alarm, not unlike so many mornings. But this time, instead of Tyson being across the bed, he’s curled up in Nate’s arms, head tucked under his chin. Nate breathes in Ty’s scent, burying his nose in Ty’s hair.  
“Time to get up,” Nate whispers.   
Ty groans. “Five more minutes.”  
“Babe, we gotta go to practice.”  
Tyson slowly looks up at Nate, a huge smile on his face. “Okay, babe,” he says putting an emphasis on the “babe”.  
Nate chuckles and kisses him quickly. But, Tyson, apparently, doesn’t want it to be quick. He chases the kiss when Nate pulls away, nipping at Nate’s lips, pulling him back, making the kiss deeper, but not as ferocious as last night. They pull away smiling.   
They get out of bed together. They get dressed together. They get breakfast together. They head out together. Nothing is different, except everything is. Tyson casual touches him in passing, on the arm, along the back, on his neck. Nate wraps his arms around Ty while he’s pouring coffee. Their feet brush under the table while they eat breakfast. They hold hands out to Ty’s car. Ty’s hand rests on Nate’s knee the whole way to the Family Sport Center. Nate can’t seem to settle himself, knowing that he can walk in, hand in hand with Ty.  
And they do, until they get to the locker room. Once they’re outside, Ty drops his hand. Nate looks to him in confusion, but Ty is already pushing inside the locker room.  
It’s okay. Nate thinks. He just needed to push the door open.   
But, in the locker room, nothing actually changes. Ty doesn’t give Nate the casual touches he did at home. He doesn’t give him the adoring looks. Nate thinks it’s just hockey. It has to be just hockey.   
He gets some looks from Max and Gabe across the ice. He didn’t come home last night, but it doesn’t seem like anything’s changed. Nate gets their confusion. He would too, in their position.   
But, as soon as they get back to Tyson’s car to go get lunch, with the guys, Tyson is kissing him across the console.   
Then, at the restaurant, nothing changes, but everything changes. Tyson puts his hand on Nate’s thigh under the table, and Nate drapes his arm across the back on Ty’s chair. Ty links their ankles together at some point. It feels really good. Nate doesn’t know if the team really notices, but he does. Maybe that’s all that really matters.   
Ryan hops in Tyson’s car after lunch to come hang out and play video games. He doesn’t say anything in the car ride, or even for a long time at Tyson’s apartment, but Nate knows it’s coming. Ryan knew about Tyson’s feelings. Nate eavesdropped on them last night. It shouldn’t be that hard to figure out.   
Finally, it comes out. “So, what happened last night?” Ryan asks.  
Nate sees Tyson gulp. “We figured things out,” Nate says, glancing at Ty. He doesn’t know what to say here.   
“Good or bad?” Ryan asks. It’s really casual, like he knows the answer is good.  
“Good,” Tyson says this time.  
Ryan smiles and fiddles with his controller until his player is out of the game. “See you guys at morning skate tomorrow.”  
Nate smiles at Ty as Ryan leaves, but Tyson is smiling back. “Ty, what is it? Is everything okay?”  
Ty takes a breath. “We really need to talk.”  
Nate closes his eyes. Shit. He messed up. He messed up big time. He doesn’t know how, or what he did, but he just knows it.  
“Hey, no, Nate. It’s not you.”  
“It’s not you, it’s me, right?” Nate spits out.  
Tyson flinches. It’s not really what Nate wanted, but it does feel a little good. “Yeah, kinda.”  
“I’ll go then.” Nate starts to gather his things. He knows there’s a lot more than he’ll ever be able to collect in a timely manner.  
“No, Nate! That’s not… that’s not what I meant.”  
Nate pivots on his heel. “What Ty? What do you want? Don’t hurt my heart twice, please.”  
“It’s just… Nate… I’m not out… Not to anyone except Ryan, and I guess Max…” Ty trails off, like he’s lost in thought.  
“Do you not want to come out?”  
“Not… not really. I’m scared, Nate.”  
“Okay. Okay.” Nate says, sitting down. “Ty, we can still do this. Today, no one noticed anything was different. I like you, a lot Ty. I don’t want to lose you.”  
“Really? You’re okay… with me not being out? To anyone?”  
“Yeah, man. If you aren’t ready, I’m not gonna push you or break up with you. I want to support you in whatever makes you feel comfortable. But… I need to tell Max and Gabe.”  
Ty smiles and cross the living room to sit with Nate on the couch. “Of course you can. They… they should know… Oh and Nate?”  
Nate looks down at Tyson, the question on his face.   
“You’re the best.”  
Nate rolls his eyes with a smile on his face. “Yeah, yeah. I know. Now, make us some good food.”  
Ty laughs. “Only if you put on the Penguins game.”  
Nate gives him a look like “of course” and finds the remote among the amazing collection of remotes on Ty’s coffee table.   
Nate flits between the living room to keep track of the score, and Sid of course, and the kitchen. He steals swipes of whatever it is Tyson is making. He earns little swats on the back of the hand, but Tyson is barely containing his laughter. Occasionally, Nate wraps his arms around Ty’s waist and rests his chin in Ty’s head. Is this what love is? There’s no way.  
They eat in front of the TV, touching in as many places as possible. Somewhere in the second period, Tyson takes their dishes to the kitchen. When he comes back he drapes himself across the couch, cushioning his head in Nate’s lap. Nate ghosts his fingers through Ty’s curls. After a while, Tyson shifts so he’s sitting against Nate’s side. Nate is still playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. Ty’s hands start creeping up Nate’s thigh until his fingers are tucked right against his crotch but not moving. It’s the worst kind torture. By the time the game is over, Tyson is half in Nate’s lap, lips ghosting over where his neck joins with his shoulder. Tyson kisses his way, slowly, up to Nate’s mouth. Nate takes the lead when they finally get there, ravaging Ty’s mouth with his own, nipping at lips and soothing them with his tongue. Ty whines, deep in his throat. Nate pushes him gently onto the couch. He puts a thigh between Ty’s leg. They grind against one another as they fuck each other’s mouths with their tongues. When Tyson is all out moaning, and Nate is sucking deep bruises into Ty’s chest, Nate pulls away.  
“What?” Tyson asks, breathless.   
“Bedroom?” Nate asks.  
Tyson nods immediately.   
Nate hauls Tyson up and carries him into the bedroom. Tyson gets his fingers into Nate’s hair and pulls him down into a deep kiss. Nate kisses his way down Ty’s neck and pulls Tyson back sitting to undress him. He gets himself undressed and goes back to kissing Ty. They rub against each other, like they have before.  
“Wait… wait,” Tyson says between breaths.  
Nate pulls away, not wanting to do anything Ty doesn’t want. “What is it?”  
Ty chuckles a little. “Nothing… I just…” Tyson takes a breath, trying to find the words. “Can I… Can I fuck you?”   
Nate’s eyes and mouth go wide. “Are you sure?”  
Ty nods, eyes trusting. Nate smiles and flips them. He loved seeing Tyson under him, but seeing him on top is just addicting. Tyson reaches into the drawer to pull out a condom and lube.  
“You thought about this?” Nate asking, a knowing smirk on his face.   
Tyson blushes and nods.   
“Do you wanna prep me, or do you watch me fuck myself on my fingers?”  
Tyson bites his lip. Nate decides then and there that he hates it. He looks to good, like he wants to pull him right back down on top of him. “I’m gonna do it myself.” Then drops down and runs his tongue along the crease of Nate’s cheeks.  
Nate has to steel himself from gasping to loudly, but damn does that feel good. Tyson kisses each cheek, before gently opening them. He stares at the pretty ring of muscles before touching his tongue to it. Nate moans, head thumping against the bed. It’s been a while since anyone’s had their tongue down there. Tyson runs his tongue all the way around. He dips it in and out, by the time he finally pulls away, Nate is a writhing mess.   
Tyson drips some lube on a finger. “It’s gonna be cold,” he whispers. He sinks a finger in, down to the second knuckle. He wiggles it around, listening to Nate hiss and moan, before sinking it farther down. He fucks Nate on one fingers.  
“Fuck… please Ty… oh fucking… God please… more… more…”  
Ty slides his finger out. Nate whimpers at the emptiness. Ty lubes up another finger and works it in slowly. Nate moans. “Come on, Ty. Give me another one. I can take it,” he huffs out.   
“You sure?” Tyson asks.  
Nate knows Tyson’s actually being careful. He’s never done this with Nate before. But, man does he need more inside of him than just Ty’s two fingers. “Yes. Yes. Please. Give me more.”  
Tyson abides and lubes up a third finger. He works those in, and Nate let’s out a loud moan that he just can’t hold in. Tyson smirks. It’s a good feeling to know he’s taking Nate apart absolutely and completely.   
Finally, after much begging on Nate’s part, Ty just can’t stand it anymore. His dick is throbbing, wanting to get it inside of Nate. He’s puts a condom and lubes his dick up. The first press of the tip is heaven. Both he and Nate are moaning in ecstasy. He slowly sinks down to the hilt. Ty throws his head back. He can’t believe how wonderful it feels. Nate is panting under him. It’s been so long since he’s had anything so wonderful inside him.  
“Ty, move,” he groans. Tyson shifts a little bit, sending sparks all the way through Nate. His dick twitches. “Come on, Ty.”  
Ty slides out and slams back home. They find their rhythm after that. They don’t talk, just grunt and groan, skin sliding together in the most delicious way.   
“Ty… Ty,” Nate pants, gripping Tyson’s arms.   
“Yeah,” he breathes.  
“I’m so close.”  
“Yeah?”  
Nate nods, slowly, hard.   
“So, come.” And he does. It’s most spectacular orgasm of his entire life. It shakes him to the core and forces the orgasm out of Tyson as well. They groan and Tyson collapses onto of Nate. They breathe each other’s air, mouths hovering over one another.  
“Holy shit,” Nate says after a minute.  
“Nate, you’re… you’re incredible.”  
Nate laughs. “Also sticky. Can we shower?”  
Tyson laughs and helps Nate stand. They stumble to the shower together. They don’t get a lot of cleaning done at first. Nate gives Tyson a mind-blowing blowjob and Tyson jerks Nate quickly into another orgasm. They do get clean eventually, but collapse back into the not quite as dirty bed.  
Nate tells Max and Gabe the next day after morning practice. Gabe gives him a smirk, like he knows exactly what they got down too. Max gives him a very dad like congratulations and hug. They both promise to keep Tyson’s secret, just like they do his. And, really, it’s not like Nate is out to the team. Just a couple guys, Sid, Taylor, his family. He knows it’s a big deal. Maybe they’ll come out later, when they’re both ready. Nate can’t wait.   
They win, and Nate is fucking ecstatic. He can barely contain himself from kissing Tyson on the ice. Tyson is smiling right back at him though with big eyes and a look on his face meant only for him. Tyson knocked two points. An assist and a goal. Nate did the same, assisting on Tyson’s goal and Tyson did on his.   
They go out with the team, Tyson’s arm around Nate’s waist. Tyson is okay with these little shows of affection. It’s so similar to what they’d been doing before no one notices, with the exception of Gabe, Ryan, and Max, who know what’s going on.   
Gabe and Ryan continue to give the two of them eyes all night. Nate is blushing nonstop, and Tyson is just ignoring it. But, he occasionally touches Nate’s leg under the table, or crosses their ankles, to show he knows he there. Nate finally convinces Ty to dance. He pulls him out onto the dance floor, and in the middle of all those bodies, they can let loose. Nate keeps Tyson’s back plastered to his front. While he’s got this little bit of public time with him, he isn’t going to let any of it go to waste.   
A few days later, on another road trip, but one where they slept together the entire time, they’re in Washington DC. Ty looks up from his phone. Nate is just fiddling with his. They’ve don’t have a game, it’s an off day after two back to back games. Nate and Ty are sitting on the bed together. Not quite touching, but close enough.   
“Let’s go out,” Ty says.  
“Huh?” Nate is slow to look up from his phone, closing whatever game he was playing.  
“I wanna take you on a date… Maybe not super, like, PDA, but what we do with the guys.” Nate is staring at him, just staring with a small smile. “I just… I just feel like we need to go on an official first date.”  
Nate’s smile gets even bigger. He leans across the bed and kisses him. “Okay. Where do you wanna go?”  
Tyson smiles. “I got something in mind. Get into your suit.”  
“Ooh somewhere fancy.”  
Tyson giggles. “Yeah, now get going.”  
“Yes, sir.”   
They’re about ready to go and Nate is heading out. “Nate turn around.”  
Nate whips around, full on duck face and Tyson snaps a picture. His duck face quickly turns to a face of confusion. “What was that for?”  
Tyson smiles as he looks at the phone. “Documentation.” He looks up and grabs Nate’s arm. “Let’s go.”  
They take the subway in Georgetown and Tyson leads Nate to a fancy restaurant called Marcels’. It’s right near the Kennedy Center, just a few blocks down. It’s some crazy fancy, crazy expensive French place.  
“Impressed?” Tyson whispers as they’re being seated.  
“Very,” Nate says, looking around. It’s absolutely incredible.  
Tyson orders wine before the hostess leaves. They take a look at the menu and Nate balks.   
“Ty, why did you take me here.”  
“Because we’re both making bank, and I wanted to treated my boyfriend on our day off,” he says.   
“This incredible. Nothing so far in my life tops this… except maybe one thing,” Nate says, the side of his mouth twitching up.  
Tyson blushes and looks back at his menu.   
Their waiter comes with the wine Tyson had ordered and two glasses. He pours it for Tyson to taste. It’s all very pompous and upscale. Nate is very impressed. Tyson didn’t need to impress him, which makes it that much better.  
They order food that is way too expensive for what it is. But it’s a fantastic night. They talk about hockey and family like always. It’s not really a first date because they already know so much about each other. But, it’s fantastic all the same. Tyson continues the little, unnoticeable touches to anyone except Nate. It makes Nate’s insides turn, but it the great way that he knows Tyson is his.   
It’s safe to say they have really awesome sex that night and most definitely get looks from some of the guys in the morning. Tyson brushes it all off, but Nate is starting to feel like he wants to tell the team. Not about the relationship, because that’s Tyson too.   
When they get back from the road trip, Nate calls Sid. Tyson is in the kitchen making food, and Nate is in the bedroom.  
“Hey, bud, what’s up?” Sid says when he picks up.   
“Got some stuff you’re probably gonna want to sit down for,” Nate says. The call serves many purposes, because he has yet to tell Sid about Ty, but he also wants to ask for advice for coming out.   
“Somewhere private?” Sid asks.  
“If you want.” Nate doesn’t care at the point. He’s done hiding from everyone. “I do have one secret.”  
“Ooh, what is it?” Sid asks in his high pitched, mocking tone.  
“Shut up, ya big oof.”  
“Really, what is it?”  
“You can’t tell anyone, not even Taylor.”  
“What do I have to keep from Taylor?” Sid asks.  
“Tyson and I are dating.”  
“What!?” Sid screeches. “You serious.”  
“Dead serious. But, he’s not out, other than to a few people who know about our relationship. That’s why you can’t tell Taylor. She’s a blabber mouth.”  
“Yeah, yeah. I got it. Thanks fantastic, kid.”  
“Thanks, Sid.”  
“Now, I get to say I told you so.”  
“Yeah, yeah, get it out of your system,” Nate laughs, leaning back against the pillows, hand behind his head.   
“But, really, Nate. All you had to do was ask.”  
“Yeah. I know. It was just one big miscommunication error. I’m sorry. I should’ve listened to you in the first place,” Nate says, monotony as broad as daylight.   
Sid chuckles.   
“Anyway,” Nate says. “I have one other thing, I wanted to ask you about.”  
“Shoot.”  
“How should I go about coming out to the team?”  
“Oh, Nate. That’s awesome you wanna do that. You just tell them, one day in the locker room. Make sure Ty knows though. You don’t want to accidently out him too because he’s not prepared and someone makes what is meant to be a poke at you two.”  
“Yeah, I was going to tell him. He definitely should know.”  
“Who should know what?” Tyson asks, peeking his head in.  
“Dinner ready?” Nate asks.  
Ty nods.   
“Alright, Sid, talk to ya later.” He smiles at Tyson who’s putting plates on the table. He kisses Ty before sitting down.  
“So, what were you talking to Sid about?”  
“I was asking him, how to come out to the team.”  
“What?” Tyson asks.  
“I wanna come out to the team. That doesn’t mean you have to. There’s gonna be a lot of chirping about us, but to them, we’re just friends. I’m ready to come out. You don’t have to be.”  
Tyson smiles, taking a deep breath. “You have no idea how much that means to me. I never thought I could have a boyfriend, because I was a hockey player, and I don’t want to come out. Now, I have a hockey player for a boyfriend and one who’s okay with me staying in the closet, while he’s out.”  
“I understand.” Nate reaches across the table to grab Nate’s hand.   
“I’m proud of you, Nate.”  
“Thanks, Ty.”  
After dinner, he calls Max and Gabe. He tells them his plan for tomorrow and warns them not to tell anyone about him and Tyson because Tyson isn’t coming out. They promise to keep his secret.   
Nate falls asleep with a smile on his face and his boyfriend in his arms


	5. Chapter Five

The next morning, Nate has all kinds of nerves. He’s coming out to the team today. That’s… that’s crazy. It seems like it’s been so long since he started the season. So much has happened. Now he’s taking the biggest step of his life, other than his first step onto NHL ice.   
Tyson must sense his nerves. He’s giving Nate a lot more light touches than normal all morning. Before they leave, Tyson pulls Nate for a kiss. “For luck,” he says as if he needs to give Nate an explanation for kissing him.   
“Thanks.”  
Nate is shaking when Tyson parks at the rink.   
“Hey, you’re gonna be fine. I’m sure the guys are gonna be cool with it.” Nate knows he’s trying to be supportive so he doesn’t mention the hesitation in Ty’s voice. He just smiles and slides out of the car. He hikes his bag onto his shoulder and follows Ty into the Pepsi Center. There about half the guys there. Nate sits in his locker, leg jiggling.   
Matt notices and looks up. “Everything okay, rookie?”  
“Yeah, actually everything’s great. Just wanna tell the team something before we go skate today.”   
“Ooh, what is it?” Matt asks wiggling his eyebrows.  
“Um…” Nate hesitates as more guys walk in laughing at some joke. “I’m gay.”  
“What?” Matt asks. Some of the other guys are looking at him.  
“I’m gay,” Nate repeats. By now, the whole room is silent, and everyone in it is staring at him.  
“Seriously?” Stastny asks.  
Nate nods.   
“So the rookie likes dick,” John Mitchell says. “Alright.” With that, the twenty-nine-year-old takes the ice. The rest of team either follows or continues getting dressed.   
Nate let’s out a breath he didn’t really know he was holding.   
“That went better than expected,” Gabe says next to him. “Right?”   
Nate nod. “Way better.” He takes another minute, breathing and settling himself before getting dressed.   
He’s the last one out of the locker room. Everyone is going about their day pretty normal. Drills are fine.   
“That explains a lot of things,” Holden says, skating up to him.  
“What?”  
“Your little announcement,” Holden says laughing.   
“Oh, what does it explain?” Nate asks, knowing where this chirp is going.  
“It explains how much of a pussy you are.” Holden laughs, and Nate laughs with him. He knows it’s a joke.  
“Yeah, a pussy that can skate circles around you.”  
Holden laughs with him, and all is good. He does get a few looks from some of the older veterans in the locker room later, but Gabe seems to notice as well.   
“So, Tyson, does that mean you’re banging Nate then?” Stastny asks.  
Tyson laughs it off, not blushing like he might’ve before. “Oh hell, yeah. Got a nice ass on that one.” He smacks Nate’s ass as he walks by to go to the shower, but shoots him a wink as well. Nate knows that he means everything he says, even if the guys think he’s just joking around like the rest of them.  
“I’m sure. The hockey ass is always best,” Varlomov says, getting in on the chirping.   
Nate rolls his eyes in the most dramatic way. “You guys are gonna get hurt.”  
“Like you could hurt me,” Tyson says batting his eyes.   
Nate rolls his eyes and shakes his head to hide his blush, because he couldn’t hurt Ty, ever. He gets into the shower to get rid of the sweat, but throughout the shower, he gets smacked on his ass more times than he’d like to think about. It was snaps of towels, but really, did the guys need to be that immature?   
On the ice, someone rando on the Sharks crushes Nate against the boards. It hurts, but nothing he can’t take. Before he’s even to the bench, the guy is being beaten by Holden and Mitchell. He looks across Gabe on the bench. Tyson is seething, but smiles slightly at Nate. Nate didn’t realize he’d get this much support from the guys. The Shark hadn’t even said anything rude about his sexuality, not like he’d know. But, the guys are backing him up like he did. It makes Nate smile. (They win the game.)

A few days later, the guys are undressing after their last practice before the All-Star Break. Nate is sitting next to Tyson, after a good night of sex, with a morning blowjob. Their knees are touching as they untape their socks.  
“How are you gonna fair without Tyson?” Matt asks, throwing a ball of Nate at Nate. He bats it into Tyson’s lap.   
“You say that like we are gonna be apart,” Nate answers. Tyson throws the ball of tape and nails Stasny in the head with it.  
“Hey! I’m not a part of this!” he exclaims, but he tries to stealth hand the ball back to Matt.  
“You are also long as Matt is your favorite,” Tyson chirps.  
“But, Nate, we do know you’re gonna be apart. Tyson is going to hang with the lone Benn, as one is going to the Break. And you’re gonna be spending with it the lesser Crosby,” Matt says, tossing the ball of tape from hand in hand. Tyson is glaring Matt down, daring him to throw it again.   
“Hey, Taylor is not lesser,” Nate barks.   
“Fine, younger,” Matt amends. He chucks it at Gabe, who walks by in a towel, having already showered.   
“What the fuck, Matt?” Gabe exclaims. But being the Viking he is, he caught it.   
Matt just smiles. “Now, answer my question, rookie.”  
Nate shrugs. “I’ll be fine I guess.”  
“Uh huh,” Matt says, before getting hit with the tape ball. He glares at Gabe, who is innocently slipping into his sweats.   
“See ya after the break boys,” Gabe says, waving.  
“Bye dude!” chorus’s the rest of the team.  
“Damn, he bolted out of here.”  
“I heard he and his girl were going back to Sweden.”  
“No way. The lucky fuck.”  
“I wish I could go home.”  
A lot of the guys are older and had settled families here in Denver. They couldn’t pick up and go on a three-day vacation to another country like Gabe and his Swedish girlfriend could.   
Nate is going miss Tyson. He’s going to miss him like hell. He had gotten used to sleeping next to Tyson this past month. He had gotten used to the sex, and the amazing food. He had all of his stuff in Tyson’s apartment anymore. Max said he didn’t take it personally. Nate’s glad for that. He really is. The All-Star Break is only a week. He can do this. He showers and leaves with Tyson. They don’t talk on the way back to their apartment. They don’t talk while they pack.  
“Ty,” Nate says finally, when he’s put the last thing in his suitcase.  
Tyson turns to him and buries himself in Nate’s chest. “I don’t want to do this.”  
“Hey, it’s only a few days. We can do this. I know we can.”  
Tyson nods. “I still don’t want to.”  
Nate nods too. It feels more like they’re leaving for the summer rather than for the break.  
They load up the car, sharing small touches and light kisses. Tyson doesn’t let go of Nate’s hand as he drives to the airport, which is difficult, because it’s DIA. But, Nate won’t let go, even if he had too. These are last few minutes he’s got with Tyson for the next few days. He holds on until they have to get out of the car. Then he winds his arm behind Ty’s back and won’t let go until he absolutely has to get check in. It’s Denver, so it’s not like he can kiss Ty good-bye. Someone might see. Tyson squeezes his hand and smiles. They part like that. Nate can’t look back. If he did, he’d see Tyson still smiling at him with tears in his eyes.  
Nate wipes his eyes and gets in line for check in. He gets his headphones out of his bag after security and listens to music from waiting for the plane all the way until he’s home. His parents are there to pick him up again, but this time Taylor is with them as well. He loves to see his almost-sister as much as he loves to see his parents. He gets plenty of hugs and squealing Taylor in his ear.   
She squeezes his arm the whole ride home, but she has this little smirk on her face that sets him a little on edge. She pulls him into his bedroom at home and slams the door.  
“What is it, Taylor?”  
“I’ve been dying to ask, but Sid said I couldn’t.”  
“What? What did he say you couldn’t ask me?”  
“Do you really have a boyfriend? Is it really that guy you were crushing on at Christmas?” She says it all in a huff, but quietly so his parents don’t hear, like when they were kids and he first kissed a boy.  
He sighs, blushing. He knew that Sid could never keep something secret from Taylor. Especially about him. He should’ve known Taylor would know. “Yes, I am.”  
She squeals and hugs him tight. “I knew you could do it, Nate.”  
He chuckles. “You wanna hear details?”  
“Everything! Except, like, the nasties. You did do the nasties, though, right?”   
He laughs again as they sit down on his bed. “Well duh.” He proceeds to tell Taylor about Tyson and they’re relationship. It makes him smile, to be able to talk so freely about Tyson. He praises him and talks him, not like he doesn’t believe any of it, but because he believes it all. He thinks Taylor sees it. She sees how in love he is. She doesn’t chirp him about it, like Gabe or Ryan would.   
That’s when he notices something’s off.  
“What is it?” Taylor asks.  
“Where’s Henry?”  
Taylor opens her mouth then closes it. She doesn’t know quite what to say.  
“Taylor?”  
“Please, don’t make me tell you. Ask your parents.” She looks close to tears.   
“Mom? Dad?” Nate yells, getting off the bed and running into the living room. He’s only panicking slightly.  
“What is it honey?” his mom asks, looking up from the news.  
“Where’s Henry?” He practically crying. He can feel the tears running down his face. At this point, he knows the answer. And it isn’t good.  
“Oh honey.” She pulls him onto the couch. He cries into her shoulder.   
“Why didn’t you tell me?”  
“We didn’t want you to be so hurt, knowing you had to go on with your life. There was hockey to think about. Here, you can have some time to mourn.”  
“When?” he sniffs.  
“A few weeks into January.”  
“Was he sick?”  
His mom nods.   
“Then, it’s probably better, so he’s not suffering.” He wipes at the tears on his cheeks.  
“That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to hurt, honey.”  
Nate sniffs. He tries to keep himself from crying until he gets into his bedroom. Taylor is still there. Tears are spilling over onto her creeks. The cuddle together in his head, halfway crying.   
Later that night, after Taylor’s gone and a quiet dinner, he calls Tyson.  
“Hey what’s up?” Nate hears kissy noises in the background. “Jordie, shut the fuck up.” There’s some jostling, then “Get the fuck out” and a slamming door. “Sorry,” Tyson apologizes. “Jordie is a menace.   
“It’s cool,” Nate laughs. “How is the older Benn?”  
“Like I said, he’s a menace. I wanna hear about you.”  
“Ty…” Nate tries to get the words out, but ends up crying again.  
“Nate, what is it? Are you okay?”  
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be fine… It’s just… Henry died in January, and I just found.”  
“Oh, Nate. I know how much you loved that dog. I’m so sorry. Oh my god.”  
Nate takes a deep breath. I didn’t even know he was sick. I should’ve seen it at Christmas. I just… I miss him so much.”  
“Oh, Nate.” He pauses. “You’ve still got Oscar, right?”  
“Yeah. He’s still here, just outside.”  
“Hmm… you know, why don’t you take Taylor and go get a puppy.”  
“Huh?” Nate asks.  
“Well, why don’t you get a puppy. Someone new for you to love and a brother for Oscar.”  
“That’s… That’s a good idea.”  
“I know. I’m a genius.”  
“Well… I wouldn’t go that far,” Nate chirps.  
“Hey no fair.”  
“Totally fair. Anyway, how’s Victoria?”  
“It’s good to be home, like always. Jordie’s ribbing me about all the pictures of us he keeps finding on my phone, but nothing I can’t handle. I’ve been dealing with the Benns since before I could walk.”  
Nate cracks up, knowing how close they are. “I’m glad you’re having a good time.”  
“I’m serious, Nate. Go get a new puppy.”  
“I will.”  
“Alight, I gotta go. I’ll see ya soon.” He makes kissing noises into the phone, that Nate laughs at before hanging up.  
Two days later, Nate is scrolling through his pictures of him and Ty when he decides to post a hazy photo of them, Ty’s head drooping on whatever road trip. He posts it with the caption “Miss you Tyson…”  
He and Taylor go to a pet store a little later to pick out Oscar’s new brother. Nate knows he wants another retriever. He’s loved them all his life. Taylor squeals at every adorable puppy, but Nate is stuck on this little guy in the back corner. He picks him up and plays with him in the designated area for a little, but he’s already decided. This is the one. He and Taylor pick up puppy food, new bowls, a new leash and collar, and some new toys so the new guy has some stuff of his own. Nate ends up buying a new bed for the little guy too, because Henry’s is really old and should be tossed. At least that’s his excuse.  
His parents love the new boy and help him set stuff up all over the house. Nate has Taylor take a picture that he later posts on Instagram.   
Genius or not, Tyson was right. This is exactly what he and his family needed. He decides on the name Duke. He cuddles Duke when watching TV, and when his parents turn on the news, and when he goes to bed that night. Duke doesn’t seem to mind, and Nate is love. The entire time, he was taking pictures and sending them to Tyson. Ty responded with heart emojis, and secretly, Nate is happy he approves. One day, he wants Tyson to come meet Oscar and Duke.   
Two days later, he’s on a flight to Denver. Tyson got in yesterday so he’s waiting at baggage claim. They don’t kiss, but can’t hold back a hug, bags sitting idly at their feet.  
“God, I’ve missed you so much,” Tyson breathes into Nate’s neck.   
“Me too.” They walk out, not really touching because bags, but also people. Once they’re in the car, though, there’ nothing to stop Nate from ravaging Tyson’s mouth from over the consol. Tyson’s hand find its way into Nate’s hair. Nate cups Tyson’s face a gently as he can, completely different from what he’s doing with his lips and tongue and teeth. Tyson moans under his barrage, and Nate soaks it up.  
He finally pulls back. Ty looks perfect, lips a little swollen, and eyes half lidded. “God you’re gorgeous.”  
Tyson blushes and that makes it even better. “Ready to go?”  
Nate nods. He’s never been more ready to be at the apartment. Tyson carries Nate’s bag in. Nate is assaulted with awesome smells of chili when he gets inside. Tyson spoils him, and he is totally okay with it. Tyson serves him a huge bowl with a mountain of cheese and onions on top. God, does Tyson know him well or what? They eat chili and drink Gatorade with the TV on the Broncos game in the background. Nate tells Ty about Duke and how amazing he is. Tyson tells Nate about Jordie and his theories that Jamie is more than likely gay. Nate laughs at that, but Tyson gives him a look.  
“What?” Nate asks.  
“Jamie knows that I’m gay.”  
“And?” Nate asks.  
“And I know he’s gay.”  
“You’re joking.”  
Tyson shakes his head. “Jordie’s gonna be pissed at both of us when he finds out, but neither of us is ready yet, ya know?”  
Nate nods. “Of course. I get it…. That’s crazy. Jamie Benn is gay. We should start a club. NHL stars who are gay.”  
Tyson laughs. “Sure with the two of you.”  
“No you too!” Nate exclaims.  
“I’m no NHL star, Nate.”  
“Sure you are. They just haven’t given you the Noris like you’ve deserve yet.”  
Tyson chuckles. “Okay, okay. The three of us.”  
“I’m sure Sid would join is we asked,” Nate says, taking another bite of chili.  
“Sid’s gay?” Tyson exclaimed.  
Nate chuckles. “Well, yeah. He’s not a prude, or like married to hockey. I thought it was pretty obvious.”  
“No, not really,” Tyson says, still in shock.   
“Well, now we’ve outted a friend to each other. There are now four people in the gay NHL stars club.”  
Tyson nods. “Sounds about right.” He smiles at Nate, in that way that is special just for Nate. Tyson fucks him through the mattress later and Nate couldn’t be happier.   
They’re first day back in the training room is brutal. It’s like the trainers expected them to keep up with their training during the break. Nate is dripping with sweat, and his muscles are more sore than they’ve ever been. Tyson is leaning on him for support. He makes an overdramatized noise before fake falling to the ground in a small patch of sunlight in the training room. Nate laughs and takes a picture. He sends it Tyson (who eventually posts in to Instagram).   
Max invites them over for dinner that night. When they get to Max’s place, the first thing Nate notices is Cynthia no longer has her pregnancy bump. “You had the baby!” Nate exclaims.  
“Shush” Max says, coming into the room, cradling his new child.  
“Can I hold him?” Nate asks.  
“Of course,” Cynthia says before Max can say anything rude.   
Max rolls his eyes and hands over the baby. Nate cradles him gently, cooing at him. “He’s so cute. What did you guys name him?”   
Max laughs.  
“What?” Nate asks.  
“Jaxon Spartacus Talbot,” Max laughs.  
“You’re joking,” Tyson deadpans.  
“No,” Cynthia sighs.  
“You can’t say Spartacus without yelling. That’s why it’s his middle name. Parents only use their kid’s middle name if they’re yelling.”  
“Your kid is never going to take you seriously if you are laughing every time you say his full name,” Tyson says.  
“I won’t laugh,” Max says, sounding offended.   
“Yeah, yeah,” Nate says. He passes Jaxon off to Max. “Let’s eat.”  
Nate is captivated, watching Cynthia feed Jaxson. He knows he wants kids someday, but he’s absolutely enthralled with Jaxson.   
When they leave, he must have some look on his face, with the way Tyson is looking at him.  
The rest of season is incredible. They lose some. They win more. They make it to the playoffs! Nate is buzzing with it. They have a chance. Their first round is against the Wild, because of course it is. They win the first two at home, but then lose the next two in Minni. They win the next one at home, but now they have to win one at Minni. They don’t. Nate is upset. He sleeps on Tyson’s shoulder on the plane ride home. He doesn’t want to lose the following day. They can’t lose. They’ll be on home ice. They’ll have the fans support. But, he’s tired. He’s never been this exhausted in his life. Now he understands what the players mean about the playoffs wearing you down. He’s only in the first round. He can’t imagine the state he’ll be in come the Stanley Cup round, if they get that far.   
They don’t. They lose brutally that the Pepsi Center. He and Tyson go home, don’t talk and sleep. They sleep until there’s a loud ringing on their door the next morning. Nate looks up groggily before falling back down on his pillow. He’s not even sure Tyson woke up. The ringing happens again. Nate groans and rolls over. He grabs his phone and answers the call.  
“Lo?” because he doesn’t have the brain capacity for more this morning.  
“Nathan, hi.” It’s his agent.  
“What’s up?” Nate asks, a little more awake.  
“They want you for worlds?”  
“What?” There’s no way he heard right.  
“They want you for worlds, now that you’re out of the playoffs.”  
“Seriously?” he exclaims  
“Ungh, what is it?” Tyson asks next to him.   
“Yes, seriously, Nathan. Pack your bags. You’re going to Belarus.”  
“When do I need to be there by?”  
“Two days.”  
“Fuck.”  
“I’ve got a ticket for your flight. I’ll email you the info.”  
“Thank you.”  
“Good luck, kid.”  
“What was that?” Tyson asks, now propped up on his elbow, facing Nate.  
“That was my agent. I’m going to worlds.”  
“Really? That’s fucking awesome. I’m so proud of you, Nate.” He reaches over and pulls Nate in for cuddles. “You’re gonna do great.” He kisses Nate’s forehead.  
“Thanks.” Nate maneuvers so he can kiss Tyson for real. Tyson gets a leg between Nate’s. He grinds against the hard muscles. Nate moans at the feel of Tyson’s hardening dick against him. He grinds back, dick catching on the fabric of his sweats. He paws at Tyson’s pants, wanting them off. Tyson must get the message because he moves away to strip, then get gets to work on Nate’s sweats. The skin on skin contact is amazing. Nate moans, and kisses the skin of Tyson’s shoulder. He sucks a bruise there as Tyson gets a hand between them. They get off like that, Tyson fisting the both of them, breathing in the too hot space between them. Nate pants into Tyson’s chest and basks in the afterglow.   
“Shower?” Tyson suggests after a few minutes. Nate smirks because he knows how all their showers turn out, when they’re alone. And, it does turn out the way he expected. At some point Tyson’s dick is down his throat. At another point, Tyson’s got three fingers up his ass. They both come, and add to the mess before getting any cleaner.   
Tyson makes breakfast while Nate packs. His agent emailed him the info for is flight, which leaves later that evening. It’s such a quick turnaround he can barely believe it. Tyson’s got awesome food laid out when he finishes. He kisses Ty, grateful for the constant source of awesome food. They shove food into their faces.   
“I’m gonna miss you,” Tyson says.   
“I’m always gonna miss you,” Nate replies.   
Tyson nods. “Go win that gold for me.”  
“Will do.” They sit around watching movies and cuddling for the rest of the day. They go through the motions when Tyson drops him off at the airport. They’ve done this a lot now. Tyson hugs him and waves as he goes to check in. The plane ride to Belarus is uneventful. He’s met with a few people for the IIHF to take him to his hotel and get him set up for the rest of the tournament. His roommate is Sean Mohan, of the Calgary Flames. Sean is a cool guy and they get along well.   
The round robin play is rough. It tests Nate, coming straight for the playoffs. He and Sean generally just collapse in bed after they get home. Occasionally, Nate FaceTime’s Tyson. Tyson is back in Victoria. He’s generally chilling on his couch with his little puff of a dog when Nate calls. Nate chirps him about having a purse dog, but he knows Tyson doesn’t take him very seriously because Tyson knows Nate would never say anything so inconsiderate of something he can see Tyson loves so much. He learns the dog’s name is (insert name). He loves the dog seconds after seeing Tyson nuzzle his fur. Tyson can see how much Worlds is weighing on Nate. It seems like he tells Nate to go to sleep earlier and earlier every night. There are moments Tyson considers jerking off in shower when they get back, but he never does. That might be something he does when he gets home, because summer is long, and Victoria is too far away.   
Canada gets knocked out of tournament in the first round of playoffs, and it hurts. It hurts like fucking hell. He says good-bye to Sean and makes his exit. His agent has already got him on a plane ticket on the next flight to Nova Scotia. His parents let him know that Tyson brought up most of his stuff before he drove home. He’d called Tyson that night and yelled at him for making his road trip longer than it needed to be. Tyson consoled him and told him that he would’ve done it if Nate hadn’t gone to Worlds, they just would’ve driven together. Nate is still mad, but not as much.   
He’s only in Nova Scotia with his family for a few days before he and Sid fly down to Las Vegas for the NHL Awards. Sid is up for at least three. Nate chirps him for hours about it, but Sid brushes it off and sincerely tells Nate that he’s going to win the Calder.   
Nate blushes and says there’s no way. Sid shakes his head. “There’s no rookie better than you, Nate. You took your team the playoffs. I’m so proud of you.”  
That just makes Nate blush harder. Tyson and Ryan are waiting in the lobby of the hotel to take Nate up to the room, he and Tyson are sharing. Ryan assures him that he’s in another room, but really happy to see Nate.   
Tyson takes him out to a really fancy dinner, like he would do anything else in Vegas.  
“Man, I really underestimated how much I would miss you this time around,” Tyson says, over a glass of wine.   
“Me too.” Nate shares the sentiment. Although it was good for some international play, and to see his family, he missed having Tyson there. They really have been attached at the hip, so he doesn’t know how they’re going to survive this summer, a whole continent apart. Tyson tells him about the shit Ryan’s been up to, like full detail of how drunk he’s been. Nate cracks up, unable to hold it in. They get a few stares from people in the restaurant, but Nate couldn’t care less. He’s just happy to be back with the person who means the most to him.   
When the get back to the hotel, Tyson pushes him up against the wall and kisses him. Nate moans into and grabs at Tyson’s waist. He grinds into Ty, drawing a beautiful moan out of him. Nate makes his way down Tyson’s neck, sucking and licking. Tyson squirms above him. Nate’s knees hit the floor, and he nuzzles Tyson’s groin through the fabric of his suit pants.   
“Come one, Nate,” he moans, gripping Nate’s hair, like he always does. Nate preens at the pull, loves the feel of it. Slowly, he unzips Ty’s pants, mouthing at the damp spot on his boxers. Tyson shudders and thrusts slightly at Nate’s open mouth. Nate wriggles his pants down a little farther so he can slide his boxer briefs down. Tyson’s dick pops out from the underwear and slap against his still clothed stomach. It is large and angry red at the tip. Nate grabs at the base so he can suckle the pearly precome of the head.   
“Oh Nate,” Tyson moans, trying to thrust into Nate’s mouth.   
Nate settles himself in a little more and takes it into his mouth. Tyson moans, loud, and Nate loves it. He gets his hands onto Tyson’s ass cheeks, massaging them a little. He licks the underside of Ty’s dick, licking back to the head just to take it all again. He bobs taking as much as he can into his mouth. He fingers the place just around Tyson’s hole, reveling in the sounds he’s making. He gets all of Tyson’s dick in his mouth, nose pressed against his pubic hair. He breathes him in through his nose and presses at Tyson’s pucker.   
“Oh, Nate. Yes, fuck. Like that. Oh, fuck!” Nate bobs a little more, then he hears Tyson say, “Oh god, Nate. Fuck me. Please. Please fuck me.” Nate stops, because what? Tyson wants him to fuck him?  
“No, no, don’t stop,” he pants.  
“Tyson what?” he asks.  
“Huh? What did I say?”  
“Do you really want me to fuck you?”  
Nate can see Tyson swallow. “Uh… yeah. I do. Is that a problem?”  
“No… I just thought…”  
“You thought what, Nate?”  
“I just didn’t think you were into it.”  
Tyson blushes. “Well, while you’ve been gone, I’ve been… I’ve been experimenting… with my fingers.”  
“You… fuck,” Nate moans. “Okay. On the bed.” Tyson scrambles to do what Nate says, tripping over his pants in the process. Nate undresses Ty, once he’s horizontal. God, does the process feel like it takes forever. He undresses after, just dropping his nice clothes in a pile. (A problem for another day.) “Lube? Condom?” Nate asks, breathless.   
“Toiletries bag,” Tyson gets out.  
Nate scrambles to find them. Tyson definitely thought about this. He somehow has Nate’s favorite condom in his bag, which is different from his own. Nate closes his eyes and breathes for a second. This is actually happening. He wasn’t sure this day would come.   
“Ready?” Nate asks. Tyson nods. Nate lubes up his forefinger and presses it against Ty’s pucker. Tyson’s breathe stutters, then comes out all at once when Nate finally pushes the finger in. Nate doesn’t get far, unable to comprehend how tight and hot Tyson is.   
“More,” Tyson whines. Nate presses in more, going down to the second knuckle. He watches Tyson’s face so signs of pain, but all he sees is pleasure, so he pushes deeper and gets his whole finger in. Tyson sighs, feeling Nate’s hand pressed against his ass, one finger entirely inside of him. Nate crocks it and Tyson whines.  
“More?” Nate asks.  
Tyson nods, words not coming anymore. Nate pulls out, trying to ignore Tyson’s whines of emptiness. He lubes up another finger quickly and presses softly at Tyson’s hole. He opens nicely around Nate’s fingers and pushes in slowly. Tyson moans low, sweat dripping. When Nate gets two fingers all the way down, he kisses Tyson’s torso, licking at the salty sweat. Tyson pants, stomach quivering under Nate. Nate fucks him with two fingers, the slow slide in and out. He’s mesmerized with the way it looks: his fingers going in and out of Tyson’s body. He loves the way the muscles clamp down on his fingers as they slide out, wanting to keep him there.   
When Tyson’s whining hits a peak, Nate lubes up a third finger. He wants to be thorough. He doesn’t want to hurt Ty at all. He takes pleasure in the slow process of opening Tyson up for him. Tyson is writhing and moaning underneath him, completely lost in the pleasure of it. His dick is red and hard and leaking on his stomach. Nate wants to get his mouth on it, to taste Ty, but he knows if he does, Tyson won’t last another minute.   
“Tyson, can I get in you now?”  
Tyson nods frantically. “Please, please Nate. I need you. I need-fuck!” he exclaims as Nate crocks his fingers just right.  
Nate removes his fingers quickly and rolls on a condom. He slicks it up, scrunching his nose a little. He doesn’t really like the feeling of latex, and maybe someday they won’t need one, but for now it’s for the best. He situates himself at Tyson’s entrance. “Please,” Tyson murmurs. Nate swallows and sinks in. He throws his head, trying to comprehend what he’s feeling. It hot. It’s tight. It feels so fucking good. Tyson scrambles for something to grab onto. It ends up being Nate’s arms. “Go.” Nate sinks in farther, shaking from the heat and the tightness around him. He hovers over Tyson’s head and kisses him deep, slowly moving. He’s barely thrusting and Tyson is whining into his mouth.   
“Oh, Nate. Please. I want more.” That’s what snaps Nate’s control. He starts fucking Ty in earnest, unable to hold back anymore. With every thrust, Ty let’s out a little “uh” sound, too far gone. His grip on Nate has gone slack. “I’m… I’m…” he whispers just before spilling come onto his stomach. The sight makes Nate’s balls tighten and he comes deep and hard into Ty. He lays onto of Ty, panting, come drying between them.  
“Holy shit,” Tyson whispers.  
“You’re telling me,” Nate laughs.  
“That was so much better than my fingers.”  
“Good. I’m fantastic at sex.”  
Tyson laughs. “Yeah… yeah you are.” His head lulls on the pillow. “Nate?”  
“Hmm?” he hums in response.  
“I love you,” Tyson whispers, just loud enough for Nate to hear.  
Nate sucks in a breath, unprepared. He just said that. Holy shit.   
“Nate?”  
“I- I love you too,” he says, smiling down at Ty and kissing him softly. “But, I’m kinda sticky at the moment. I believe a shower is in order.”  
Tyson chuckles. “You’ll have to help me stand, because I’m not sure I can, after that.”  
Nate smiles. “Of course.”   
This shower is a little different from times before. They move gently around one another, washing carefully and with tender hands. Tyson sucks in a breath when Nate swipes by his ass, and Nate always ends up kissing him. They kiss a lot actually in that shower. More than they ever have in one moment. Everything just feels so perfect.  
The next day, Tyson doesn’t feel like going out. He’s still a little sore and doesn’t want to move. On top of that, the awards are today, so Nate would rather not do anything either. Ryan is with them on that, so they all end up cuddling in one bed, watching Disney movies and chirping one another. At some point, Tyson takes a shitty picture of them; Nate’s hair is all messed up, Ryan is making a weird face. The two of the wrestle Ty, trying to take his phone from him. But, Tyson somehow succeeds in posting the damn thing to Instagram with the caption, “Good luck to these two freaks and @s_varlomov at the awards today! Can’t believe they dodged me on the Norris again… @mackinnon29 @snooksoreilly”   
Nate goes makes fun of him, but Tyson stops him with a kiss.  
“Ew gross! Get a room!” Ryan whines.  
“We did,” Nate says. “You’re just in it.”  
To which, Ryan makes a face, and Tyson laughs so hard he falls into Nate’s lap. Ryan leaves mid-afternoon so they can all get ready. They all get into suits, but Tyson and Nate take a little longer. There’s much more kissing and fondling. Also, Tyson messes with Nate’s hair a lot. Nate keeps batting away Tyson’s hands, just for them to appear seconds later to fix something else.  
The three of them meet up with Sidney, Evgeni Malkin, and Semyon Varlomov in the lobby. Sidney smiles at Nate, eyeing how close they’re standing. Nate blushes but they all get to dinner without any hassling from Geno or Varly. Nate actually comes to the conclusion that Russians are oblivious because Geno obviously was with Sid and is with them now, so Varly must be the same. They eat at some really expensive restaurant that Sid insists on paying for everyone, which is ridiculous but he does anyway.   
“Sid best. He win many award tonight. Let pay,” Geno says.   
Ryan chuckles. “Agreed. Let the old man pay for it.”  
“Hey, G is older than me. We don’t get to call me old.”  
“Sid,” Nate says, “you’re old.”  
Sid scoffs, but puts down his credit card. “Then, let it be a good thing, kid. I’m paying.”  
Nate smiles. Man, he loves his almost-brother.   
They sit together at the awards. Tyson holds Nate’s hand in the protection of the dark. The Calder is always first. Nate is surprised when his name is called, but no one else seems to be. Tyson is beaming. Sid is smiling and nodding, like “Yup, just as I thought.” His other teammates that he sees seem happy, but not surprised. He excepts the award with a bright smile, and stutters through a short speech. He’s shuffled off stage for a million and one pictures and more interviews. He’s never been good at talking to the camera, but Tyson helped him get better at it with his media trainer. He gets through it and quickly back to his seat, just in time to see Sid win his first award of the night. Tyson smiles at him, and grabs his hand. Nate links their fingers together and sighs, happy to be back with Ty.   
They watch Sid win two more awards. Not like anyone didn’t expect it, but Nate is happy for him. They celebrate after, getting way to wasted. Luckily, Nate doesn’t throw up. Unluckily, Tyson does. Nate wakes in the middle of night, Tyson’s side of the bed empty and sounds coming from the lit bathroom.  
“Ty?” Nate calls.  
The response he gets is the sound of vomit. He scrambles to his feet and goes to the bathroom. He rubs Ty’s back until he’s finished. He hands him a toothbrush and toothpaste and a cup of water. Ty drinks the water then brushes his teeth. “Thanks.”  
“Of course, babe. Let’s get you back to bed.” Nate supports Tyson all the way to the bed. He helps him in, before turning off the light in the bathroom. When he gets back, Tyson curls around him, laying his head on Nate’s chest. Nate pulls him in, happy to fall asleep like that.   
They kiss a lot the next morning, preparing to leave for the summer.   
“It’s not like we can’t call or FaceTime,” Tyson says.  
“Yeah, but it’s not the same.” Nate pulls Tyson in for another hug before they leave the room. He presses a kiss to his neck before pulling away. “I’m gonna miss you so much.”  
“Me too, Nate. Me too.”  
They walk out together. Ryan says good-bye to them in the lobby, where Nate catches up with Sid. They go together to the airport and sit with each other on the flight. They talk about home, and how great it’s going to be with Nate joining Sid’s training regimen in Nova Scotia. Nate sleeps part of the way. It’s a long ass flight, with an even longer layover in Chicago. Sid lets him sleep on his shoulder for the most part, which Nate is grateful for. It’s more comfortable than the seat or the window, and it feels like flying with Tyson. The parents and Taylor are there to pick them up. Nate’s never been so happy to see all five of them in his life. The first thing he does when he gets home is cuddle with Duke, who’s grown so much, and Oscar. He snaps a picture to Tyson, and Tyson responds with a smiling face meant just for him. He loves it. He loves Ty, loves him so much.   
He spends most of his time either training with Sid or texting Tyson. His parents have started asking questions, and he thinks it’s about time for him to answer them. He runs it by Tyson to make sure it’s okay. Tyson seems hesitant, but is okay with it. They are Nate’s parents after all.  
The conversation happens one night at dinner. It had been a day of no real excitement, just training with Sid as always. His mom has made a fantastic dinner, which Nate digs into with joy. He loves Tyson’s cooking, but it can’t ever really compare with his mom’s.  
“Mom? Dad?” he says finally.  
They look up questioning.   
“I’m… I’m dating Tyson.”  
“Really honey?” his mother asks.  
“Good for you boys,” his father says.   
“Are the two of you going to come out to the league?” his mom asks  
“Now, why would they do that? They don’t want to draw that kind of attention to themselves. They’d be attacked. That would be horrible media for them and the team.”  
Nate clears his throat. “Um. Yeah. We won’t be coming out to the league yet. Tyson hasn’t even come out to the team. He’s a little scared. Which I understand. I was where he was. We’ll do things in time, as he feels like doing them. I’m not going to make him uncomfortable for force him into something he’s not okay with.”  
“You really care about this boy, don’t you?” his mom asks with a smile.   
“Yeah,” Nate says, unable to hold back a smile of his own.  
A couple weeks later, it’s Tyson’s birthday. Nate hates missing it, but Ty is training in Victoria with Jamie and Jordie, and he’s here in Nova Scotia with Sid. He sent a huge package with Tyson’s favorite candies and a new Rolex, because Nate has money now, and if he’s not going to use it on his boyfriend then what’s he going to use it on? He’d seen Tyson looking at this specific watch for weeks on the computer, never working up the nerve to buy it. He talks to Tyson as much as he can, because Tyson is having a big party apparently. But, he posts a picture later that night, including a picture of them on the ice, a cute picture of the two of them in an airport, and a screenshot of their ugly faces in texts they had sent recently, to Instagram with the caption “Happy birthday to a wonderful friend of mine :) @tysonbarrie #dontjudgeusweresensetive”   
Tyson snaps him with a sneer, but Nate knows he loves him.   
Two days later, Nate is sitting on the bench in Sid’s training space, sipping some water, when his phone lights up with Tyson’s name. He smiles and picks up. “Hey, what’s up?” he asks.  
“Florida?” is what Tyson says.  
“What?” Nate asks.  
“Florida. Do you want to go to Florida with me?”  
“What? Seriously?” Nate asks.  
“Yes seriously,” Tyson chuckles.   
“Okay, well we can’t go until after Sid’s birthday.”  
Tyson sighs. “Okay fine.” He says it in a way that’s endearing though. “When’s his birthday?”   
“You’re telling me you don’t know when the Hockey God rerborn’s birthday is?” Nate asks, a tad of mocking in his voice.  
“No, Nate I don’t.”   
“I’m kidding geez. His birthday is August seventh.”  
“Okay, we go to Florida on the tenth.”  
Nate smiles. “Okay.”  
“Okay, I’ll send you your flight details when I have them.”  
“Ty, I can schedule my own flight.”  
“No. I’m doing it.”  
“You’re not going to let me do it are you.”  
“No.” With that he hangs up. Nate rolls his eyes. Just when he’s about to put his phone down, he gets a text from Tyson. “I’m sorry. I love you. Forgot that we can do that now :)” Nate smiles and texts back “Love you too dork.”  
“Stop slacking!” Sid calls.   
“Like I could ever slack with you around,” Nate calls back. He sets down his water bottle a phone and goes out to finish training.   
He tells Sid about his new plans when they wrap up for the day.   
“That’s too cute,” Sid says.   
“You need to get yourself a guy.”  
“I can’t. I have to focus on hockey.”  
“Sid, hockey isn’t always gonna be there.”   
“It’s gonna be there for as long as possible.”  
“Sid, you can’t just push your personal life away. Not everything is about hockey.”  
“For me it is.”  
“Sid… this is about more than just not wanting to do anything that’s not hockey related, isn’t it?”  
“No.” But the way he says it and how he looks away from Nate is telling.   
“I thought you’d gotten over Geno!”  
“Can we not talk about this please?”  
“No. We have to talk about this. Get showered and I’m taking you to lunch.”  
Sid sighs. He’s not getting out of this.   
Nate rushes home and through a shower. He texts Nate that he’s on his way. He makes it to Sid’s house in record time. Taylor is lounging on the couch inside. “He’s trying to drown himself in the shower. He told me,” Taylor says.  
“Thanks.” Nate runs upstairs. Knowing Sid, he didn’t remember to lock his bathroom door. Nate is correct, and he just barges in. Sid is yelling at him, but Nate yanks him out of the shower. “Get dried. Get dressed. Now.” He throws a towel at Sid and turns off the shower water. He storms downstairs and plops down on the couch next to Taylor.  
“Impressive,” is all she says. He stares blankly at the TV until he hears Sid approach.   
“Let’s go.” The two of them go to a place they’ve gone since they were kids. The owners know them and set them up in a back corner. Once they’ve ordered their drinks, Nate starts in. “Okay, so why are you not over Geno?”  
“I… I just… It’s hard to get over your first love, okay. I loved him, and he didn’t love me. He does now, just not the same way. He’s got Anna now. They’re going to get married. I’ve seen the way he looks at her, Nate.”  
“So? You should be happy for him. Then, move on and find someone for yourself.”   
“It’s not the easy, Nate.”  
“Why the fuck not? I did it.”  
“You and Jo are half a country away. G and I share a rink. We share and town and a team. I can’t exactly get away from him.”  
“Yes, that’s what the summer is for. The summer is perfect for branching out, hooking up on the down-low, and finding that perfect someone, who IS NOT Geno. Come on man. I know he was, like, your perfect man or whatever, because he plays hockey and was gay, but he’s obviously not because he broke up with you and has Anna.”  
“You don’t get it,” Sid mumbles.  
“No. Sid, I totally get it. I might be the one person on the planet that understands perfectly. Honestly, I don’t care if you date someone or get laid or whatever. I want you to get over Geno. It’s not healthy. You can’t pine after him forever. It’ll hurt your hockey more than dating someone else will. You need to understand that,”  
Sid takes a deep breath. “I think I do. It’s just hard.”  
“It is until you find the right person. You haven’t even been looking, Sid.”  
“I know. I know.”  
“Promise me you’ll at least look.”  
Sid gives him a look.   
“Sidney Crosby.”  
“Fine. I’ll look around.”  
“Good.” Just then the waitress comes by with their drinks and to take their orders. They order they’re regular.  
When the waitress leaves Sid says, “Tell me about your relationship.”  
Nate smiles. “Well, he’s fucking perfect. Like he planned this whole trip to Florida thing by himself. His birthday was like last week, and I got him this Rolex that he has been looking at for a while.”  
“Nice, spending the big bucks,” Sid laughs.  
“Well, if I’m not gonna spend it on him, then what am I going to spend it on? But, he doesn’t really wanna come out to the team yet, so we’re still kind of hiding.”  
“Sounds like someone else I used to know,” Sid says, looking pointedly at him.  
“I know. I know. I’m letting his take his time. He can come out when he wants to come out. It’s not like I’m gonna force him to do anything he doesn’t want to do, Sid. Unlike someone I know.”  
Sid just smiles. “Sometimes we all need a little push once in a while, Nate.”   
“Yeah. I know.”  
Their food comes then. Nate happily digs in, not having food after their training. Sid does the same.   
Sid’s birthday is just around the corner, and Nate has no idea what to get for him. “What do I get Sid for his birthday?” he asks Tyson over the phone one day, while he’s walking through shops downtown.   
“I don’t know. He’s your friend not mine. I really don’t know him that well.”  
“Ugh. This is so hard.” He turns a pretty candle over in his hand that he considers buying for his mom.   
Tyson laughs. “I’m sure you’ll find something. Then, we’ll be off to Florida.”  
Nate smiles. “Yeah, we will.”  
At some point, he ends up in a toy store. He smiles at all the cute little kid things, but he doubts there will be anything for Sid in there. That is until he spots a funny little action figure of none other than Sid. He laughs and snaps a picture to Tyson. He buys the toy, knowing that he’s going to have to get Sid something else too.   
He’s sitting at home, scrolling through Instagram when he’s hit with an idea. He quickly pulls out his laptop and search for the Pittsburg Steelers. It might be a little too early to buy tickets, but he checks anyway. And, well, it’s not. He buys two tickets, lower bowl, for a game that doesn’t conflict with Sid’s schedule for the season.   
He writes a card and attaches it to the wrapped action figure. It’s going to be great.  
They whole family (he includes his family and the Crosby family in this) go out for dinner at a fancy restaurant on the coast. They do presents there. Nate insists on being last. Sid eyes him, not trusting his brother. Not like he should, knowing what’s actually wrapped in Nate’s present.   
When it’s finally his turn he says, “Open the present first, then the card.”  
“Nate that’s not how you do it,” Taylor says mocking. She doesn’t know what either of his presents are, so he’s safe.  
“Yeah. I know. But it’s how I’m doing it.”  
Taylor sticks out her tongue before turning her attention to Sid. Sid opens the package so no one can see it but him at first. He rolls his eyes and looks at Nate. “Really?” He, then, shows the family his present. They roar with laughter. Taylor laughs so hard she falls out of her chair. Nate makes fun of her for it later.  
“Now, the card,” Nate says.  
Sid rolls his eyes again and opens the card. Nate watch his eyes scan the writing. “Nate… I… I don’t know what to say.”  
“What is it?” Taylor asks.   
“He gave me tickets to a Steelers game this fall. He… his condition though, is I have to take someone with me on a date. Like a legitimate date.”  
Taylor turns and smiles at Nate. He had explained to her the not getting over Geno situation. “That’s perfect Sid.”  
“Yeah, it is,” Sid sighs. “Thank you, Nate.”  
“Of course buddy.”  
“Boys, let’s get a picture before the night is over.” The moms take pictures of them from five phones (theirs, the boys, and Taylor’s…. Well Taylor takes that picture.) Nate posts the picture to Instagram with the caption “Happy bday Sid”.  
Three days later, but it’s actually closer to 48 hours really, he’s up at some ungodly hour because Tyson wants as much time in Florida as possible. He sleeps on the plane and Tyson is waiting at the baggage claim, which means he must’ve left even earlier. But he runs to give Tyson a hug. It’s only like two in the afternoon when they check in at the hotel. The view from their window is gorgeous. Nate takes a picture and captions it “Nice spot to train for the week here in Florida!” Tyson comes up behind him and wraps his arms around Nate’s waist.  
“Hey,” Nate says.  
Tyson responds by kissing his neck. The make out for some time before actually moving it to the bed. They take it slow, and Nate’s orgasm hits him by surprise. Tyson comes soon after and the bask in the afterglow, a warm ocean breeze blowing in.   
“Wanna go for a swim?” Tyson asks after a minute.  
“Let’s get clean first.”  
“Sounds good.” They get up and shower together, actually shower, because the prospect of swimming in Florida is too inviting. The sand is warm and so is the water, but it’s wonderful. It’s wonderful to lay in the sun with Tyson next to him. They swim, once they warm up. Nate runs and dives straight in. There aren’t any waves. The water is calm and beautiful. Tyson follows, just a bit slower. Nate doesn’t realize Tyson had taken a picture of him until later when he finds it on his phone. He posts that too. “#dayoneinparadise”.   
He sleeps better than he has in the six weeks without Tyson.  
They do actually train. Tyson got together with some Florida guys, they train with them in the morning. Sid would probably kill Nate if he didn’t do some kind of training while he was here.   
They’re lying on the beach when Nate tells him about his gift to Sid.  
“That’s a good idea, Nate. It’ll be good for Sid.”  
“Wow. I didn’t think you’d be too keen on the idea.”  
“I mean, if someone did that to me, I’d panic. But it’s Sid. He knows himself better and can handle it. I think you did a really good thing, Nate.”  
Nate blushes. “Thanks.”  
Tyson squeezes his hand quickly. “Swim?”  
“You read my mind.” Nate smiles and they run into the water together. They wrestle holding each other under and splashing each other like five-year-olds. Nate wants to lean over and kiss him, but knows it’s impossible in public like this. It just makes him want to go back to the room. They do later, but only to shower and change for dinner. Tyson takes him out somewhere fancy, like he always likes to. It isn’t until Nate looks down at Tyson’s hand at the restaurant does he realize Tyson is wearing his present.  
“Do you like it?” he asks.  
“I love it. Thank you.”  
“I’d seen you looking at it. I don’t know why you didn’t buy it months ago.”  
“I don’t know either. But now it means more to me because you got it for me. You paid enough attention to me to know it was exactly what I wanted. No one’s ever done that for me before.”  
Nate smiles. “I’m glad I get to be a lot of firsts for you.”  
Tyson blushes at that.  
They do exactly what Nate was referring to back at the hotel. He takes Tyson apart piece by piece, just to put him back together again. He’s missed this. All of it, from their secrets dates to the sex, even the hiding in public. He misses that because even when they’re doing that, he’s with Tyson.  
That’s really how the rest of the trip goes. They train. They lay on the beach. They have sex. Nate is most definitely not complaining. He might be complaining a little when they have to leave.   
“We’ve got a little less than a month. We’ll be back together in Denver before you know it.”   
“That’s too far away,” Nate whines into Tyson’s shoulder.   
“It’ll be okay.” The load up the rental car and go to the airport. They go separate ways, because Tyson has a connecting flight in Denver of all places.   
About two weeks later, he and Sid have their last training in Halifax. They take a picture, so Nate can post it to Instagram.   
“You and your social media,” Sid sighs.  
“You should get into it,” Nate says, shoving some gear away.  
Sid shakes his head. “Nah.”  
“You been on any dates lately?” Nate asks, hefting his bag onto his shoulder.   
Sid blushes. “Maybe one.”  
“Really?” Nate asks, surprised. He didn’t actually think Sid would move this quickly.  
“Yeah. I went out to a bar and got some guys number. We went out to a movie a few days later.”  
“This was all while I was in Florida, wasn’t it?”  
Sid nods.  
“Since I’m your only friend you had to go out to make more,” Nate laughs.  
“No. You’re just my only gay friend.” Sid wraps his arm around Nate’s neck and gives him a nuggie before Nate can wriggle away.   
Nate laughs. “Good. If you happen to have another, it should be one you’re dating.”  
Sid smiles. “Maybe someday.”  
Nate smiles back. “That’s better than a few weeks ago when I was hearing never.”  
“Yeah.”  
Nate takes a lot of pictures of his dogs over the next week before he leaves for Denver. Duke has gotten so big. He’s not really a puppy anymore.   
He gets several texts from teammates and friends on his birthday. They all range from just a simple “Happy Birthday” to Jo’s crazy, “HOLY FUCK! YOU’RE NINETEEN! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE!” His parents put on a little party for him at the house. It’s two days before he leaves for Denver so his room is a giant disaster, but the party is out on the lawn. Neighbors and family friends pop in throughout the night to say “hi” and give him gifts. He sticks at Sid’s side all night and teases Taylor whenever he gets the chance. She teases him just as much. Her reasoning, “it is your birthday, after all.”  
“That’s not even real reasoning!” Nate shouts back as she tears across the backyard, dogs at her heels.   
“It is for me!” she shouts back.  
“And you’re sending her to university?” Nate asks, disgust all across his face.  
Sid sighs, scrubbing his face with his hand. “It might help.”  
“Might being the keyword.”  
He gets a sweet text from Tyson, later once everyone is gone.”  
Sorry I missed your birthday party. I miss you and can’t wait to see you! With a kissy emoji after it.   
Nate smiles and bites his lap. Skype? Is his response.

Before he knows it, Ty is requesting to Skype him. He accepts, and Ty’s face appears on the screen. “Hey.” He’s probably smiling stupidly at the camera, but he can’t seem to care. All he cares about is Tyson is Skyping him late at night.   
“Hey,” Ty says back. “Happy Birthday.”  
Nate chuckles. “Thanks. I’ve heard that a lot today.”  
“I’m sure you have,” Ty smiles. “Sorry I didn’t get you a present.”  
Nate shrugs. “Maybe you can make it up to me?”  
“Now, how would I do that?” Ty asks sarcastically.   
“I have an idea,” Nate says with look on his face that says Ty knows exactly what Nate is thinking.  
“Does this idea involved me undressing?” Ty asks.  
Nate nods. “Hell yeah.”  
There’s some shuffling as Ty sets his laptop on a table. Nate wolf whistles when Ty stands away a little, already shirtless. “You came prepared,” Nate huffs.  
Ty smirks. “I always come prepared.” He starts his show, swaying from side to side to show off his abs as he runs a hand down his torso to the tops of his shorts. He slips his hands past the waist band to cup himself. He moans, load enough it comes through the shitty speakers of Nate’s phone. Nate swallows and pants, trying to regain his breath from what Ty is doing. He’s already hard in his pants. That comes with still being a teenager. Ty’s hands linger around his pants button on the screen.  
“Please,” Nate murmurs without meaning to.  
“Yeah, okay,” Ty responds, his voice just as ragged as Nate’s. He undoes his button and the zipper. Nate can see Ty’s blue spotted underwear. He hasn’t told Ty so, but he thinks Ty looks the hottest in those. His shorts slip to down around his ankles. Nate has to suck in a breath to keep from embarrassing himself. He can see Ty’s bulge in his boxers, like he’s half hard. Not quite there.  
“You like that?” Ty asks.  
Nate nods. “I’ve been thinking about this all summer.”  
“Nate,” Ty gasps, dick twitching in his boxers.  
“Are you gonna get all the way undressed for me?” Nate asks.  
Ty’s breath stutters before he sheds the boxers. The idea of it is much less sexy than what he was doing at the beginning, but Nate’s never been so turned on in his life. He scrambles to get undressed as Ty stands before him, bare, and unfortunately on a screen.   
“You like me like this?” Ty asks.  
“Do you have to ask?” Nate pants.  
“No, but I like to hear you say it.”  
“God, you’re gorgeous, babe. I love seeing you like. You’re so easy for me.”  
“Yeah,” Ty pants, grabbing his computer and getting back on his bed.   
Nate finally gets a hand around his dick, and it feels amazing. He throws his head back and moans. “Ty. Ty I want you.”  
“Me too. Me too, babe. Want to see you all spread out underneath me, see how well you take my fingers,” Ty pants into his computer.   
“Ngh,” Nate managers, thinking about Ty’s fingers in him. He wishes he has another hand to finger himself.  
“You want that, huh?” Ty asks.  
Nate nods, words not going from his brain to his mouth at the moment.   
“I bet you’d open so good for me. You always do. I love the way your rim pulls at my finger, like it can’t get enough of me, like you can’t get enough of me. It’s like you never want to let me go.”  
Nate whines, striping his dick faster. It is less dry as precome bubbles from the head and slides down the shaft.  
“I’d get you open so I could slide right inside you. You’d be so tight and hot. It’d feel so good, Nate.” Ty is panting like he’s getting himself off. “Or maybe you’d want it in your mouth. Does that sound good? Swallowing my dick. I bet that would be hot and wet,” Ty moans.   
Nate’s eyes are screwed shut as he tries to keep himself from coming. He wants this to last.   
“Come for me, babe,” Ty whispers.  
That’s all it takes. He works himself through it, just barely. He thinks Ty says some things to him, but they don’t make it through the pleasure he’s floating through at the moment.   
“Holy shit, Nate,” Ty pants.   
Looking at the screen, Nate can see that Ty has definitely come. His chest is just as much of a mess as his own is.  
“I didn’t know Skype sex could be so great,” Ty says in awe.  
Nate chuckles. “We could’ve been doing this all summer, dipshit.”  
“Why weren’t we?” Ty whines. “So many missed opportunities.”  
Nate chuckles. “Well, I’m going to clean up. I’ll see in like two days.”  
“Okay. See you soon, babe.” He makes a kissy noise before hanging up.  
Nate smiles like an idiot for a good five minutes before he gets up. By then, the come is drying and tacky on his skin. It’s gross, and his room smells. He takes a wet washcloth to his chest and Frebreze to his room. He checks his phone before he goes to sleep and sees a text from Ty.   
Good night babe. Looking forward to Denver.  
Nate smiles and send “good night to you too” back with a heart. He goes to bed with dreams on Ty.  
When he gets back to Denver, his first stop is obviously Tyson place. He finds Tyson sitting in front of the TV, playing Xbox. Tyson didn’t hear Nate come in. He was too absorbed with his game. So, he yells, really loud actually, when Nate jumps on him.   
“Jesus Nate! Warn a guy,” Tyson laughs. He wraps Nate up in a hug, and Nate breathes it being completely surrounded by Ty’s smell again.   
“I’ve missed you,” he says into Tyson’s chest.   
“Me too, you dork,” he says back.   
They get up because Nate receives a text from Max. “He wants us to come over and have dinner with him.”  
“Let’s do it. Family time,” Ty says.  
“Okay.” Nate text Max back, letting him know they’ll be there. Max sends a thumbs up.   
“We better go get ready. Your flight got in late enough.” Tyson has a thing about late flights. He rather get up early and be there.  
“Yeah, yeah. I wanted my sleep okay?” He changes into something he left here over the summer that Tyson didn’t bring up to his parents. It’s comfortable but presentable enough for dinner at Max’s. Not like that takes much.   
Jaxson is about six months old, and it’s incredible how much he’s grown. Nate cradles him while he talks. Tyson thinks Nate doesn’t even realize how attractive he finds Nate with a child. Like, he can’t even comprehend, kind of thing. When they sit down, he sits next to Jaxson. It’s really, really cute.   
“Boys, I actually wanted to talk to you about something important,” Max says.  
“Max wanted to talk about something important?” Nate asks. The sarcasm thick as pea soup.   
“No seriously guys. The team is starting to talk. They aren’t just joking anymore when they talk about the two of you together. Some of them think it might be true, which they would be correct. But, if I’m right Tyson, I don’t think you want that.”  
Tyson doesn’t say anything.   
“So, my suggestion Nate, is that you continue living with us, like actually living with us. If you don’t want it to be as strikingly obvious as it has been in the past, I suggest you spend more nights here than with Tyson. I would also suggest not keep half your things in his apartment, let alone his bedroom for Christ’s sakes, where the whole team can see. I’m dead serious boys. I don’t want Tyson to be outed because you are incompetent at keeping secrets.”  
Nate looks down at his food, but nods. He wants to sleep with Tyson every night like he used to, but he understands why he shouldn’t. He doesn’t want to accidently out Ty because he wasn’t being careful.   
“We move Nate’s stuff out tomorrow then,” Max says, leaning back in his chair.   
Nate gets one more free night with Tyson. He gets one more night to sleep with him, and he doesn’t have to have an excuse in the morning.   
They get back, and Nate honestly doesn’t want to have sex. He just wants to cuddle and hold onto Tyson, because this feels like losing him, even though he knows he isn’t. It seems like Tyson is in the same boat. They take a shower together, but wash each other gently, carefully touching, movements slow. There are some shared languid kisses. There are some sweet caresses of the face. This, to Nate, feels like love. It’s not fast, furious fucking. This is careful, tender love. This is what he wants of his last free night with Ty.   
They dry each other of and drift to bed, touching in safe places, loving places. Nate curls around Tyson, once they’re lying down. He kisses Ty’s neck and back. Tyson rolls around in his arms and kiss back, capturing his lips. They make out for what feels like forever. It’s careful. It’s full of love.   
They curl up around each other, in each other’s arms. Nate listens to Tyson’s breathing and heartbeat. This feels like home. This feels right. “I love you,” he whispers.  
“I love you too,” Tyson sighs, relaxing even more in Nate’s embrace. Nate listens to Ty breathe until Ty falls asleep. Even then, he listens, runs his fingers through the hair at Ty’s nape. God, he’s going to miss this. He is really going to miss this. At some point he slips of to sleep, nose nestled into Ty’s hair.  
That’s how he wakes up the next morning. Tyson is humming, playing with Nate’s hair. Occasionally he presses a kiss to Nate’s chest or neck.   
“Good morning,” Nate says, voice rough from sleep.   
“Morning.”  
“I don’t want to do this,” he says. He doesn’t really want to say it, because he knows he has to, but he really doesn’t want to do this.  
“I know. But, Max is right.”  
“That doesn’t mean I like it. Like really, when is Max ever right?”  
“I know.” Tyson presses a kiss to Nate’s mouth. He responds automatically, opening up to Tyson, like he always has.   
“Max will be here soon to help,” Tyson says, ducking his head. “We should probably start looking for your things. I’m not sure where it all is.”  
Nate chuckles a little. “I know. I’m a slob, but at least I don’t leave my stuff all across North America hotels like someone I know.” He pokes at Ty’s ribs. Tyson squirms away making a face.  
“Alright let’s go,” he says throwing the blanket on top of Tyson.   
“Hey!” he squalls, scrambling out of bed. They end up having a pillow fight before they actually get any work done. Nate and Tyson find his stuff strewn everywhere. When Max shows up, they start putting things into boxes, instead of piles. Nate is in Ty’s bedroom, mostly shoving clothes into a box. He finds an old Kelowna hoodie of Ty’s and shoves that in with it.  
There’s only three boxes. It’s really not as much as Max implied. But they get it into Max’s new SUV because he’s a dad now. Tyson hugs Nate.  
“This isn’t really good-bye,” Ty says wiping at tears.   
“I’ll still be over for video games, and we still go to lunch, and we occasionally get private time. We just… can’t spend every second together anymore,” Nate heaves.   
“Take him,” Ty says, “before I drag him back inside.”  
Max chuckles. “Alright, get in the car, rookie.”  
“I’m not a rookie anymore.”  
“You’ll always be a rookie, kid.”  
Nate scowls, but waves good-bye to Tyson and Max backs out.  
“You two are disgusting.”  
Nate laughs. “I’m sure you and Cynthia were that way… wait actually… you still are.”  
Max rolls his eyes. “Sure rookie.”  
Nate goes to lunch with Gabe the next day, for the sake of normalcy and seeing his friend. They have a great time, and both end up at Tyson’s place for video games. Nate leans in to Tyson’s side, not playing and not really paying attention either. He just really likes being with Tyson.  
“I’ve got something for you,” Ty says.  
“Hmm?” Nate hums.  
“I got tickets for that concert you wanted to go to.”  
“Really?” Nate perks up. He’d been wanting to see Certified forever, and Tyson got them tickets. “You’re the best.” Nate smacks a kiss on Tyson’s cheek.  
“I know.”  
They stay a little bit longer, but then Gabe has to go home, so Nate has to leave to. Tyson kisses him quickly before he goes, but it doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel good to be away from Ty like this.   
He lounges on Max’s couch, cradling the sleeping Jaxson. A football game is on, but he’s not really paying attention. He’s absentmindedly stroking Jaxson little baby fuzz on his head, thinking about Tyson. He blinks, because suddenly Max is in front of him. “Dinner, kid?” he asks.  
“Um, yeah. Is it ready?” Nate asks, sitting up but being careful not to jostle Jaxson.   
Max nods. “I’ve been calling you for about five minutes. Where ya been kiddo?” he asks, ruffling Nate’s hair.  
Nate shrugs, huffing a slight laugh out of his nose.  
“Well, come on then. Let’s get Jaxson in his crib so we can eat.”  
Nate helps Max lay Jaxson down and goes to eat dinner. Cynthia made a great meal, but Nate’s not really focused on it.   
“Nate, seriously, you okay over there?”  
“Hm? Oh yeah, I’m fine.”  
“Missing your boy?”  
Nate hesitates before nodding.   
“It’s just gonna be something you have to get used to, dude.”  
“I know. I’m just not there yet.”  
“I know. You’re used to spending all your time with him. It’s weird to be away. I remember when it was like that for me and Cynthia, and my first long road trip came. No one could get me to pay attention to anything unless I was on the ice.”  
Nate chuckles. “Okay. I’ll work on it. I promise.”  
“Good, now finish eating, or Cynthia is gonna have a fit.”  
Nate chuckles and digs in. It is really good.  
Late that night, Nate can’t sleep. He hears Jaxson whining in the room just next to his. He doesn’t want him to wake Cynthia or Max so he creeps into Jaxson’s room and pulls him out of his crib. He cradles Jaxson, walking around with him for a little. Once he’s soothed Jaxson, so he’s not whining anymore, Nate goes back to his own room, Jaxson still in his arms.  
That’s where Cynthia finds them the next morning, Jaxson sleeping soundly in Nate arms. It’s quite cute actually, and extremely domestic. Max ribs him about it for a little, but doesn’t stop him when he lays down with Jaxson for a nap. He also doesn’t say anything when it becomes part of Nate’s routine, sleeping with Jaxson. And he most definitely doesn’t mention it to Tyson.   
It’s only a few days later when Nate is going with Tyson to the Certified concert. He’s so excited. He squeezes Tyson’s hand in the car the whole way there. Tyson smiles at him, and Nate smiles back because Tyson is his whole world.   
He bounces up and down the whole concert, singing along, while Ty just laughs at him. He knows it’s out of love, so it just encourages him to just keep going.   
He’s so pumped when they get out. He doesn’t want to go home and sleep. He tells Tyson so and Ty laughs. “Let’s go to my place then.”  
Nate knows what he’s implying. They stumble into Tyson’s apartment, groping each other and trying to kiss. Nate laughs when they fall onto bed together. He looks down at Tyson’s blushed face and thinks, “How will I ever live without this?”  
He wakes to the smells of Tyson cooking, and it feels so normal. He almost wishes it didn’t because it means waking up at Max’s won’t feel normal for a really long time. He fumbles into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around Ty and letting his head sit on Ty’s shoulder.  
“Good morning.” Tyson turns his head to kiss Nate on the cheek.  
“I want to have this all the time.”  
“If you keep saying that every morning, I’m not gonna bring you back here.”  
Nate scowls, his brain not wanting to accept that as an empty threat this early in the morning. “Don’t say that,” he mumbles into Ty’s neck.  
“I’m sorry. It’s just I want this all the time too. It’s just we can’t. You know that.”  
“I know. I know,” Nate whines. He holds his tongue, not wanting to say those few words to Tyson again. “I love you,” he whispers instead.   
“I love you too.” He turns around and kisses Nate. “Go put a shirt on. Gabe is coming over for breakfast.”  
“Seriously?” Nate whines, but goes to do what Ty asked.  
“You’re like a five-year-old,” Tyson laughs. He gives Nate’s ass a tap as he walks off.  
Nate grabs the first thing he can find when he goes into Tyson’s room, which just happens to be another Kelowna sweatshirt. He turns his head into the hood to breathe in Ty’s scent. It’s like going home.  
Gabe is messing around in the kitchen when he gets back out, and Tyson is yelling at him to “stop tasting the food you’ll get some in just a second”.   
Nate chuckles, watching the Swede prance around the kitchen.   
“Oh, shut up,” Tyson whines.   
“I wasn’t laughing at you,” Nate says, wrapping around to pull Ty into a hug. “I was laughing at our very own Swedish Viking.” Gabe poses and wiggles his eyebrows up and down to deliver the point.   
Tyson laughs a little with Nate. “Okay, you have a point. Now get our Swedish Viking to sit at the fucking table.”  
Nate laughs and smacks a kiss to Ty’s check. “Anything for you.”   
The three of them sit down for breakfast, because Tyson is the fucking best.   
“How are things working out for ya?” Gabe asks, mouthful of food.  
“Jesus, Gabe,” Tyson swears.  
“Things are pretty good. I’m settling back in with Talbo. It’s still hard being away from him, plus it’s been like three days Gabe,” Nate says.   
Gabe smiles. “I know. I was trying to get you to admit something in front of your boyfriend.”  
“What is he talking about?” Ty asks, turning to Nate.  
“I think he wants me to tell you that I sleep with Jaxson every night.”  
“Yeah, and it’s the cutest thing I’ve seen in my life.” Gabe passes his phone to Tyson, with a picture pulled up of Nate and Jaxson curled up together in bed.  
Tyson’s eyes go wide, and Nate can’t read his expression. That’s weird. He can always read Tyson’s face, even before they were really close.   
Nate and Ty go to a Broncos game on their last day before spring training. They meet up with one of Nate’s friends there. She’s hot, but Ty takes satisfaction in knowing Nate is all his. Nate takes plenty of pictures, like he always does. Ty offers to take a picture of Nate and Vanessa. Nate rolls his eyes, knowing that Ty will ask him the post it later. “Cover,” he’ll say. But, he does it for both Ty and Vanessa. He does post it, after posting a picture of the stadium.   
They start training camp the next day, so he and Tyson don’t go out. Tyson takes Nate back to Max’s house, which doesn’t exactly make Nate happy, but he accepts it by kissing Ty before jumping out of his car. Cynthia left dinner out in Tupperware for him. He silently says “I love you” in her direction. He heats it up and eats it before getting into his pajamas. He wanders into Jaxson’s room and grabs the little tike. Jaxson whines for a second before realizing he’s Nate’s arms. He instantly falls back asleep on Nate’s shoulder. Nate gets them situated in bed and falls asleep with the little guy on his shoulder.  
The next morning, he wakes up to Cynthia lifting Jaxson off his shoulder for breakfast. “You better get up, too,” she says. “With training and all.” Nate nods and sits up. It takes him a minute to stand, but when he does, he’s getting dressed and getting his stuff together for practice. Max is eating at the counter when he comes out of his room. Cynthia hands him a plate of food as well, bouncing Jaxson against her shoulder.   
“Let’s go kid,” Max says as Nate is putting his dishes in the sink.  
“Thanks, Cynthia,” Nate calls, walking out the door with Max.  
Nate is really excited to get back to the rink. He’s really missed the ice under his feet and the guys around him. He and Max are hardly the first ones to the locker room. There are a lot of new rookies and some veterans. Tyson is already there too. Nate immediately goes to the stall next to Tyson and starts getting ready.  
“Nate actually came in with his billet vet this time?” Matt asks. Some of the old guys laugh. The rookies don’t really know what’s going on.  
“Oh, shut it, Matt. You’re just upset because your vet is gone.” Stas was traded over the summer. It was really a surprise, and Matt is still a little sensitive.   
“Yeah? Maybe I’m upset because your face is just too ugly to look at this early in the morning.”  
“Weak!” Gabe yells coming through the locker room door. “And, it’s not even that early, Matt.”  
Matt rolls his eyes, but doesn’t chirp back.   
Nate laughs with Gabe and Tyson. Tyson is playing some of Nate’s favorite songs at the moment, so he can’t possibly put his gear on and sing and dance, right? He gets some heat from the vets walking in. The rookies seem a little nervous, but one of them gets up to dance with Nate best he can in all his gear. Before long several other rookies are dancing with him.   
It’s a good practice. They get a lot done and everyone seems at ease, except maybe Matt who’s still a little down about Stas.   
They go out to lunch at their normal spot. Gabe and Matt tag along (Max says he’s just going to go home to Cynthia’s cooking. They tell each other about their summers and talk about the newbies at training today.   
“I don’t think any of them are going to play up with us this year. We’ve got a strong team, even with Stas gone,” Gabe says. He sips at his water.   
“You sure? That AJ guy is pretty good,” Matt asks.  
“Yeah, but we have plenty of good defensemen and way to offensive defensemen, no offence, Ty.”  
Ty waves it off. “It’s cool.”  
“I just don’t think any of them are good enough this year to beat out any of the vets.”  
Nate nods. “I agree. They’ll be good to pull up in a few years once some vets retire.”  
“Thank you,” Gabe says and leans back in his chair just as the food comes.   
They all clabber over their food, all reach for different condiments. Nate finally gets his first bite in his mouth, and it’s so good he has to look at the ceiling and close his eyes.   
Tyson nudges him. “Good?”  
Nate nods. “Orgasmic.”  
“Ew, keep that in the bedroom, Nate,” Matt teases. Out of the corner of his eye, Nate sees Ty tense.   
“Wow, can’t even take a joke,” Nate chirps.  
“Weak,” Gabe hoots.   
“Yeah, come on Nate. You can do better,” Ty goads, coming back to himself. “Like, why you think about it, Matt?”  
Gabe “oohs” into his hand as Matt struggles for a comeback. He finally sighs. “I got nothing. Nice on, Ty.”  
Nate smiles and fist bumps him. “Thanks dude.”  
Ty laughs. “Next time come up with your own comeback. I won’t always have your back, you know.”  
“Yeah, yeah,” Nate whines. “Whatever you say dude.”  
Jaxson is crawling around when Nate gets home. He smiles and swings the little dude into his arms. “How are you?” he coos.  
“That’s disgustingly cute,” Max moans from the couch.  
“You do it too,” Cynthia calls from the kitchen.  
“You don’t need to tell him that!” Max calls back.  
Nate chuckles. “Someone’s a proud dad.”  
“Sure,” Max says, rolling his eyes with a fond smile.   
Nate sits down next to Max and starts bouncing Jaxson on his knee. Max keeps giving him sidelong glances, like he either expects Nate to burst into flames at any moment or Jaxson.  
“What?” Nate asks.  
Max shakes his head. “Nothing. He takes a long drag from his beer.  
“Dinner, boys!” Cynthia calls.  
Nate gets up with Jaxson on his hip. He sets the kid up in his highchair next to Cynthia.   
“Do you want to try feeding him tonight?” Cynthia asks.  
“Me?” Nate asks, shocked.  
Cynthia nods. “You’re really good with him, Nate. I thought you just might want to try.”  
Nate thinks for a second before nodding. He moves the highchair, with Jaxson in it, nearer to his chair. Jaxson graduated from an only milk diet only last week. They’re trying a new, mashed up baby-food tonight. Apparently, it’s to check for allergies slowly, and to know which food it is. It’s a big task, and Nate can’t believe they’re letting him do this.   
He spends more time feeding Jaxson than feeding himself.  
“Eat,” Max insists. Nate blushes and takes a few more bites of food, before he’s lured back to Jaxson and making airplane noises to feed the kid. He’s not entirely aware of how domestic and disgustingly cute he’s being, but he’s slightly aware.   
“Eat,” Max says again. Nate ducks his head and does as he’s told. This time, Cynthia gets up and takes Jaxson’s mostly empty plate with her. Nate focuses on himself. He really does. He doesn’t keep looking over at the baby and smile at him. He doesn’t get butterflies in his stomach when the little tot smiles back and claps his hands together. He doesn’t. He swears. Max’s phone says otherwise, but who the fuck cares?  
The next day, Gabe lures Nate away after training with promises of ice cream and fun. They really don’t end up doing anything except driving around Denver.  
“What are we doing, Gabe?” Nate sighs, leaning against the window.   
“I’m lost,” Gabe says, taking another random turn.  
“No, you’re not. Tell me what’s’ going on.”  
“Nothing’s going on,” Gabe insists.  
“If it’s a belated, surprise birthday party, I’m going to kill you guys.”  
Gabe swallows a little too loudly and avoids Nate’s gaze for the next few turns.  
“It is, isn’t it?” Nate sighs.   
Gabe glances over at Nate. “Yes.”  
Nate groans. “First of all, my birthday was like, two weeks ago. Secondly, this is obnoxious. I don’t need a birthday party.”  
“Tell that to Tyson,” Gabe mumbles.  
“Ty planned it?” Nate asks in disbelief.  
Gabe nods. “The whole thing was his idea.”  
Nate gives a little smile thinking about Ty planning him a whole party.  
“We’ll just go hang at mine until they call us. At least, pretend to be surprised when we go over.”  
Nate sighs. “Fine, but you’re making me food.”  
Gabe rolls his eyes, but takes them to his apartment overlooking the Pepsi Center.  
“I don’t know why you got an apartment so close to work,” Nate says glaring at the ice rink.  
“It’s nice on nights we win. Not so good on nights we lose.”  
Nate huffs. He’s sure. He fiddles with Gabe’s TV, finding a game to play while Gabe makes him food. Gabe is a really good chef, says he learned it from his mom. Nate can appreciate it none the less.  
“Why did they think to throw me a surprise party?” Nate asks.  
“It was Ty’s idea.”  
Nate sighs. Of course it was Ty’s idea.   
“Max offered his home, and I told them I’d keep you away until they were ready. They should’ve known you’d catch on.”  
Nate rolls his eyes at that one. “Well, I can appreciate the thought.”  
Gabe nods.   
Nate eats in silence, and Gabe channel surfs. “Where’s your girl?” Nate asks suddenly, realizing Mel isn’t here anymore.   
“Back in Sweden,” he says casually.  
“Anything going on there?” Nate pries.  
Gabe shrugs. “We’ll see.”  
Nate lets it go. If Gabe wants to tell him he will. They sit in silence other than the noise of whatever football game Gabe has discovered until his phone chimes. He glances down before standing up.  
“Please pretend surprised. I don’t want them to know I ruined it,” he says, dawning his coat.  
“Don’t worry. I will,” Nate sighs. “No one needs to know how much of a fuck up you are.”  
Gabe scoffs. “You’re slowly getting better at these chirps rookie.” Gabe ruffles his hair as he walks by.  
He thinks about retorting with “I’m not a rookie” because he’s not and Gabe knows it, but he holds his tongue and spits out something better. “I better be. Your mom seems to be enjoying them.”  
Gabe tilts his head back and forth, considering it. “Well, it’s not what I expected, so extra points there, but your mom? Really? Overall, it’s a decent chirp.”   
Nate rolls his eyes. “Let’s go. Come on.”  
Gabe chuckles. “Okay.”  
“And Gabe,” Nate says, just as they’re walking out the door, “I’m not a rookie.”  
Gabe cracks up closing the door behind him.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for the wonderful person behind þe username @thearkhamjoke on Tumblr for the wonderful praise. I wasn't thinking I was going to post today, but I am after that.

Nate has worked his nerves up by the time they reach Max’s place. Tyson planned this. Tyson planned this for him. It terrifies him. He doesn’t really know why but it does. The butterflies swimming in his stomach make it hard to process anything Gabe says on the ride over.   
Gabe kills the car on Max’s street and turns to Nate. “Whatever is going on in that head of yours, don’t worry about it. You’re going to have fun at the party and maybe screw Ty after. That’s not something I need to know, by the way. But the point is, it’s going to be great, no matter what you’re thinking.”  
Nate nods and takes a deep breath. “Let’s go then,” he says with a smile. Gabe smiles back and hops out of the car. Walking up to Max’s house, knowing what’s waiting for him behind those doors is a little frightening, even more frightening than walking up to the first time as a rookie. Gabe pushes past him, probably to go alert the guys that they’re here. Gabe motions Nate forward because he’s taking too long.  
“You coming or not.”  
Nate rolls his eyes. “I’m coming, you asshole.”  
He steps inside, but no one is there. There’s definitely plenty of food in the kitchen. He can’t even heart Jaxson crying.  
“Let’s go outside.”  
That when Nate notices the curtains are closed. Of course they’re outside. It’s nice weather, and Max’s pool is heated.   
Gabe smiles at him and throws open the curtains. Everyone is there. All the guys and their wives and girlfriends. He can hear the screams of “Happy Birthday” from behind the glass doors. He half laughing when he steps outside to see everyone. People say “happy birthday” and smile at him as he passes. He sees his parents who he throws his arms around to say hi. Then, Jo comes up from behind to give him a huge hug.  
“Happy Birthday, bud,” he says with a huge smile on his face.   
“Dude! What are you doing here?” Nate asks, fist bumping his old friend.  
“What did you really think I was going to miss this rad party, oh and you know, YOUR BIRTHDAY?” he laughs.   
“Don’t you have practice?” Nate asks.   
“I have two days off. No big deal to fly out here for your party.”  
“How long as this been planned?” Nate asks.  
“Six weeks,” Ty says from behind him. “I thought I’d make up for my lack of present on your actual birthday.”  
“Yeah,” Jo nods. “He invited me. Really happy he did.”  
Nate smiles at Ty. “Thank you. I can’t even imagine how you did this.”  
Ty blushes. “The surprises don’t end here. I assume you saw your parents.”  
Nate nods.  
Ty leads him away from Jo by the arm. “Well, they have a surprise for you.” He’s beaming, probably because the little dick knows exactly what is store for Nate. Everyone is crowded around the gate to the backyard. With some squinting, Nate can see that’s where his parents are. He and Tyson wind their way through the crows to get to the center. There his parents stand with his two dogs, Oscar and Duke.   
“It’s also kind of Max’s present,” his mom says. “We had to check with him to make sure he was cool with two dogs in a house with a newborn.”  
Nate just beams. His dogs are here. His parents are here. Everyone he loves and cares about is hear, except the Crosby family. He hugs his parents, and Max, and his dogs. He’s never been happier to see them in his life. He can’t believe they’re going to be here all the time now.   
“Happy Birthday,” Max says.  
“Thank you so much,” he says back.  
“It’s the least I could do. I know how much you love them.”  
“Sorry we’re late!” Nate whips around at the sound of Taylor’s voice. She comes tromping through the backyard doors, Sid and Troy, and Trina trailing behind her. “Where’s the birthday boy?” she shouts again.  
He waves at her and Sid. Their faces brighten and run over to tackle him into a hug. He laughs, but also coughs because he can barely breathe under the weight of two hockey players, and Sid is massive.   
“Hey, guys,” he says when they finally clabber of him.  
“Hey!” Taylor squeals. “Happy to see ya again, fake bro.”  
Nate chuckles. “You have some off days too?” Nate asks Sid.  
Sid nods. “Kind of.”  
“You made off days?” he asks again.  
Sid nods emphatically.   
Nate rolls his eyes lovingly. “I hate that Mario just does what you say.”  
“I love it,” he chirps.  
“I’m sure.”  
Nate spends the night hanging with Ty, Jo, Sid, and Taylor, occasionally saying hi to someone. Cynthia cuts the biggest cake Nate’s ever seen in his entire life, and he thinks he might just die. He sits around the fire with the people he loves most in his life, sharing stories of summer and staring at the stars. As people depart, they wave to him and say “happy birthday” just one more time.   
“It’s not my birthday,” Nate mumbles into Ty shoulder once everyone who is in danger of finding them out is gone. This doesn’t include Jo in Nate’s mind, so when Ty pushes him away with a smile and an eye roll, Nate is confused. “Come back,” he whines, falling onto Ty’s lap.  
“Nate,” Ty huffs, hands in the air.  
“Nate’s always been clingy like that,” Jo says fondly, but it might be teasing.   
“Shut your mouth,” Nate mumbles, waving a hand in the direction of Jo’s voice.  
Jo chuckles.  
“Nate seriously?” Ty asks. He still hasn’t put his hands down on Nate’s shoulder, or in his hair like he usually does.  
Nate looks up at Ty begging. Ty just shakes his head.  
“Don’t be shy around me,” Jo says after a moment of silence. “I have dated the kid before.”  
Ty looks up, aghast. Nate just chuckles and nuzzles against Ty. “Really?” he asks quietly.  
Jo nods. “We dated, like, all of junior. I broke it off when we got drafted to different teams. We both knew it was coming.”  
Ty nods slowly. He, then, lets a hand rest on Nate’s shoulder, massaging gently, and tangles the other in Nate’s hair. Nate sighs and relaxes into it with Ty.   
“We better go,” Sid whispers. Nate hears the three of them getting up.  
“See ya, buddy,” Jo whispers.  
“Bye, Nate,” Taylor whispers.  
“Take care of him,” Sid says.  
Ty nods. Nate can feel the movement. After a moment Ty leans down. “You asleep yet, babe?”  
Nate shakes his head.  
“Good, because I have a surprise for you.”  
Nate groans and rolls so his face is looking up at Ty. “You do know we’re at Max’s place, not yours?”  
Ty chuckles but nods. “Unfortunately, it’s not that kind of surprise. You’re too loud to give that too you here.”  
Nate rolls his eyes. “You’re the loud one.”  
Ty nods, not believing. “Come on.” Ty helps Nate sit, then stand up.  
Nate knows Max has already put Jaxson to bed, and is probably in bed himself. He must Nate enough to take care of the house. “What is your surprise?” Nate asks.  
Ty takes a small package off the mountain of them on the dining table inside. “Open it,” he says, handing it to Nate.  
Nate looks curiously at it before pulling off the beautiful wrapping. “You did a good job wrapping this,” he says nonchalantly.  
“Please say that wasn’t sexual,” Ty groans.  
Nate laughs. “No, it wasn’t. This is, like, legit pretty.”  
“Aw. Thanks. Now open it.”  
On the top of the box is the name of some company that Nate isn’t familiar with. He lifts the lid to the box and gasp when he sees what’s inside. It’s a small gold chain, just like the one Tyson wears. “Its…beautiful,” Nate says, because he doesn’t really have the words for what it is.   
“I’m glad you like it. I thought we both should have one. These are really good quality. It’s small company in my hometown.”  
“It’s wonderful, Ty.”  
Ty blushes and ducks his head. “Can I put it on you?”  
Nate nods, handing him the box.  
Ty’s hands are gentle around his neck as they clasp the chain into place. Nate feels it, feels out it feels on his skin. He vows to never take it off.  
“Stay,” Nate whispers, fingers laced with Ty’s. Ty looks at him, then down at their hands, then back up. He sighs and nods like he would even been able to say no.  
The wander to Nate’s bedroom, touching in soft places: hands, necks, hips. They strip down to underwear and make out before drifting slowly to sleep. Ty keeps Nate wrapped in his arms even though he’s smaller. Nate dozes on and off, happy just to be in Ty’s arms again.  
He’s woken a little while later by a crying Jaxson. He carefully extracts himself from Ty’s grip and slips into Jaxson’s room. He’s not surprised the kid is having trouble sleeping. They haven’t slept apart in days. He cradles the infant and slips back into his own room. He knows Jaxson won’t stay asleep in his crib so he curls him close and slips back into Ty’s arms. He sleeps soundly, more soundly than he ever has before.   
“Shh, don’t wake them,” he hears what seems like seconds later. He can hear the muttered whispers exchanged between Max and Cynthia but can’t make out what they’re saying. He groans and buries deeper into the pillow, being careful of the child in his arms. He feels more than he hears Ty sigh next to him. He adjusts, moving close to Nate and nuzzling his hair.  
“Morning,” Nate whispers.  
“Morning,” Ty responds, voice thick with sleep.  
“Sleep well?” Nate asks.  
Ty nods. “Better than I have in a long time.” He finally opens his eyes to look at Nate, but his eyes immediately go Jaxson in Nate’s arms. “Why?” is the only thing he says.  
“Jaxson and I have been sleeping together for a while…” Nate pauses. “Well, I guess since I started sleeping here regularly.”  
Tyson gives him a curious look before kissing him on the forehead. Then, he leans down and kisses Jaxson’s head. “Good morning, baby.” Nate smiles so hard it hurts his cheeks.   
“We should probably get up,” Nate says.  
Ty takes and deep breath and nods. They take turns holding Jaxson as they get dressed. Cynthia doesn’t say anything when they emerge, just takes Jaxson back to his room to dress him.   
“You guys know the amount of chirping material I’d have if you were both out?” Max asks from the breakfast bar.  
Nate chuckles. “Probably a good thing we’re not then.”  
“You can’t stay in the closet forever,” Max warns.   
“Maybe by then, you’ll be retired,” Ty says, pouring himself a mug of coffee.   
“Pfft. I won’t retire until you come out then, just so I can use this chirp.”  
Nate rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, old man.”  
Cynthia comes back and hands Jaxson to Nate. “What do you boys want for breakfast?” she asks.  
“Pancakes and sausage,” Nate answers.   
“I’ve got strawberries if you want those too,” she says, turning to get the ingredients out.  
“Ooh, yes please,” Nate begs.   
Ty smiles at him. This feels good. This feels normal. Maybe it shouldn’t, but it does.   
“Give me my baby back before I barf over how cute you are,” Max mumbles, taking Jaxson from Nate.   
Nate takes a sigh of relief. Somehow, being with Jaxson was his thing, something Ty hadn’t encroached upon. Something he could rely on when Ty isn’t around, like most of the time anymore. Keeping those two things separate is really important for Nate’s sanity. If he’s going to survive without Ty, this is how he’s going to do it.   
Cynthia heaps stacks of pancakes on plates for them, drenched in syrup with sausage around the edges and piles of strawberries on top.  
“You’re a saint,” Nate moans around a mouthful of food.  
Cynthia just smiles and starts feeding Jaxson. Max lingers on his food a bit, taking sips of coffee between bites and not racing to put as much as he can in his mouth, like Nate and Ty are doing. “Slow down a bit?” he asks. “Enjoy it?”  
Nate and Ty look at each other a shrug. They don’t slow down; despite what they say later.


	7. Chapter Seven

Finally, preseason is getting underway. It’s early October, and Ty, Nate, and Max aren’t playing in the game. They stay home to watch. Nate squeezes next to Tyson on a chair that is not meant to hold two hockey players and a small baby. They sit like that for a while, watching the first period.   
“Why don’t you take a picture, then figure out a different place to sit?” Cynthia suggests.  
“Fine,” Nate sighs, rolling his eyes sarcastically. He smiles at Cynthia as he gets off the chair, leaving Jaxson with Ty. He stands behind the chair, over Tyson and Jaxson while Tyson takes a picture. It’s absolutely adorable. Ty sends it to Nate, just as Nate gets a text from Max. He gives Max a curious look before opening it. It’s a picture of them taking a selfie. “Really, Max?” he asks.  
Max just shrugs and drinks from his beer.  
“What is it?” Tyson asks.  
Nate shows his phone to Ty.  
“Wow. That’s beyond cutely domestic,” Ty says.  
Max nods. “You guys need to quit it. I might actually vomit tonight.”  
Nate makes a face. “That’s gross, man.”  
“You’re gross, man,” Max mocks.  
The three of them move to the couch and Max takes the chair. Nate posts the photo Max sent to him on Instagram with the caption “@tbarrie and I adopted maxs child this evening #squad”.   
Tyson rolls his eyes at Nate, but they cuddle with Jaxson for the entirety of the game. Being an Avalanche player, Nate has to root for his team, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t silently root for Jo to do well on his NHL debut. He texts him after the game, which the Avs lost and says, “Congrats man. Way to open it.”  
Tyson passes Jaxson to Nate to get ready to go. He kisses Nate softly. “Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He, then, turns to the Talbot’s. “Thanks again. Have a good night. See ya tomorrow, Tablo.”  
“See ya kid.”  
He kisses Nate one more time before he walks out the door. Nate sighs already missing him.   
“You two are disgusting. Put my child to bed,” Max says before walking into the kitchen.  
“You’re a horrible billet dad,” Nate retorts.  
“Good one, kid,” Max jokes.   
Nate rolls his eyes. “Night Cynthia. I’ll take care of Jaxs.”  
Cynthia smiles at him. “Thank you. Sleep well.” She kisses Jaxson on the head before Nate takes them back to the kiddo’s room. He’s gotten really good at getting Jaxson ready for bed. He carefully strips the kid and changes his diaper. He takes out a clean set of pajamas, generally onsies, to dress Jaxson in for the night.   
He cradles the little guy and takes him to his own room. Nate sets him gently on the center of the bed so he can’t roll off while Nate changes. He slips into just his sweats and crawls into bed. He snaps a picture of him cuddling with Jaxson to Tyson. “Love you” it says with a heart. He isn’t awake long enough to see the response.  
He wakes the next morning with Cynthia taking Jaxson from him. “I’m going to change him and feed him. Take your time getting up. You’ve got an hour or so before you have to leave,” she says quietly.  
Nate smiles his thanks and rolls over. It isn’t much longer before he’s getting up and getting ready for practice. The smells of Cynthia’s cooking draws him out of his room. Bacon and eggs sit on plates at the breakfast bar accompanied by mugs of coffee and cups of water. “You’re truly the best,” Nate sighs, sitting down.  
“I’m glad you approve.” She slides him a biscuit as they come out of the oven.  
“Max, man, how did you score someone as awesome as her, when you’re just, eh?” Nate asks as Max sits down next to him.  
Max shoots him a side-eye glare but doesn’t say anything.  
“Looks like someone didn’t get laid last night,” Nate teases.  
Cynthia smirks and shakes her head which just makes Nate laugh harder.  
“You’re both awful,” Max groans.  
“How can you say that when all this food is sitting out in front of you made by this lovely woman, who also took care your child this morning, well both of them, actually,” Nate says with a honking smile on his face.   
Max just shakes his head and downs the mug of coffee.   
They eat breakfast and hit the road for practice. Nate plays his favorite songs, most of which Max complains about while Nate dances.   
Some guys are already in the locker room when they arrive. Tyson is already in his stall, playing music. Tyson’s always been the DJ as long as Nate’s been here, and he does a pretty good job of it. He hits a lot of favorites, even for the old-timers.   
He smiles at Nate when he sets his stuff down. They get changed and race out to the ice, leaving Ty’s playlist going in the locker room.   
They race around the rink, passing pucks back and forth trying to throw the other off. They’re laughing in a heap by the time practice has actually started. They run through drills, teasing and prodding each other, and just generally in a good mood.   
“I’ve never seen you two this happy,” McLeod says to Nate during a water break.  
Nate shrugs. “Just a good day, I guess.”  
Cody smiles and skates off. Nate nods to himself. He’s happy Cody’s okay with him. At first, he’d seemed pretty standoffish about it, not really wanting to accept it. But now, he seems better around Nate, more willing to talk and joke with him. He’s finally accepting him. Maybe it’s that Nate is no longer a rookie. Maybe it’s something else. Whatever it is, it just adds to the good mood Nate is in.   
He’s laughing and singing with the rookies that are still trying to earn a spot during preseason. Ty is smiling at him from across the room, keeping him on his toes by changing the song every few seconds.   
“Alright, come on! That’s enough!” Matt exclaims. He wrestles with Ty and come out victorious with the aux cord. There’s a chorus of groans from around the room, except the few besides Nate who actually like country, Gabe included. Nate hurries to undress so he has to listen to as little country music as possible.   
Nate scrubs down in the showers, sneaking glances at Ty in the shower stall next to him. Tyson is blushing and slightly smiling as Nate keeps looking. He stills himself when more guys wander in to take their own showers.   
Nate and Ty take all the rookies out to lunch. They have a good time, feeding off the positive energy that Nate has been feeling.   
“Why are you so happy today?” Ty asks in the car   
Nate shrugs, smiling. “I don’t know. I like being with you. It feels good.”  
Ty smiles back at him. “I like it too.”  
“Let’s do something,” Nate suggests.  
Ty chuckles. “Like what?”   
Nate shrugs. “I don’t know. We don’t have a game tonight. Let’s go hiking.”  
Ty chuckles. “Okay. Let’s go change and then we can go.” Ty drops Nate off, only after kissing him.  
Nate bounds up to Max’s house, so light-hearted and happy.  
“You are way too happy today,” Max mumbles.   
“Ty and I are going hiking,” Nate says, skipping into his room.  
Max rolls his eyes. “Of course you are.”  
Nate changes into some better clothes to go hiking in than his jeans. Max is in the living room when he returns.   
“Promise me you’ll be careful?” Max asks.  
Nate nods. “Of course. I’ll always be careful.”  
“Let Ty know I’m worried about him.”  
Nate huffs. “Are you trying to have a dad moment?”  
Max shrugs. “Maybe. How am I doing?”  
Nate smiles. “Pretty good.” Ty rings the doorbell. “I’ll see you later.”  
Max nods.   
Nate runs out and slides into Ty’s car. “Let’s go,” he says, beaming. Ty smiles back and kisses Nate’s forehead before backing out of Max’s driveway.  
“Where do you want to go hike?” Ty asks.  
Nate shrugs. “I really don’t care. I just want to hang out with you. Hiking seemed like the most private place to do that.”  
Tyson chuckles. “I love you. Did you know that?”  
Nate smiles. “Yeah I did.”  
“Good.”  
They drive for a while, going through Boulder and up a canyon pass. It’s a good afternoon. They spend more time looking for a place to hike then they do hiking, but it is good. They laugh and wrestle on the trail. When they reach the top, Nate considers taking a cheesy picture like “He was looking at the view, but I was looking at him,” sort of thing. He does take the picture then joins Tyson on the ridge to see the view. It is spectacular, but the sun is starting to set and they need to get going if they don’t want to be hiking in the dark.   
Tyson takes him out to dinner at a small place back in Denver, that somehow, Nate hasn’t been to before.   
“It’s my special place,” Tyson says quietly. “I love how small and out of the way it is in a big city like this. It feels more like home than anything else around here.”  
Nate smiles, loving the look Tyson gets when he talks about home. He secretly hopes that someday he’ll get to see Tyson’s home.   
He orders something small, and drinks his water. They still have practice tomorrow, and he can’t cheat his diet. He feels like he can though. He feels like he can do anything when he’s around Tyson. Tyson makes him feel better than anyone in the whole world have ever been able to make him feel. He loves it and never wants to let it go. He never wants to let Tyson go.   
Tyson drives him back to Max’s place, and it feels like they’re teenagers again sneaking back after curfew. Tyson kisses Nate over the console, and it lifts Nate up a bit, knowing that he can’t spend the night lying next to him.   
“See you in the morning.”  
Nate nods and slips out of the car. Inside, Max and Cynthia are watching a movie on the couch in the living room. Cynthia looks up when he walks in.  
“Have a good time, Nate?” she asks.  
He nods. “It was amazing.”  
“Get some sleep kid. We’ve got a game tomorrow.”  
Nate nods and goes to get ready for bed. He cradles Jaxson as he carries him to his room. He falls asleep with the little guy snoozing gently on his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on the weird website called Tumblr and asarcasticletter or hockeymylovemylife. It is basically all trash and fandoms on the first and entirely hockey on the second! Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's short. A longer one is coming. I promise

After who knows how long, the regular season is finally underway. They’re playing well, but not well enough to start piling up wins. They win some. They lose some. It’s really frustrating. They made it to the first round of the playoffs last year. They’ve tasted it. They know they can do it. It’s just a matter of when. When are they going to start producing on the power play? When are they going to start making their own chances? Only God knows the answer to that one.   
They’re on a road trip in Chicago. They just won so everyone is going out. Nate smiles and laughs next to Ty as the huge group of hockey players barrel into the bar. Nate and Ty sit down at a table with Gabe and Ryan and Matt.  
They get the alcohol flowing and it isn’t long before Matt is wrapping an arm around Nate’s shoulder.   
“Alright. I told you next time we got a chance I’d be your wingman. So, tell me what kind of guys you like?”   
Nate blushes as the rest of the table laughs. He stumbles over his words until Matt sighs.  
“Fine dude. What about him?” He points to some guy across the bar.  
He’s hot be all definitions. He’s muscular and a hot face. Nate shrugs. “Too tall.”  
Matt studies him. “Okay, so you like them shorter than you.”  
Nate nods, thoughts drifting to Tyson as always.   
“Okay, so what about him?”   
This guy is shorter, but he’s really skinny. “That guy doesn’t look like he’s worked out a day in his life.”  
“Short and athletic.” Matt studies Nate again. He goes on like this forever, but Nate shoots down every guy for some reason or another. None are anything like Tyson.   
Matt finally rolls his eyes and gives up. “You’re obviously avoiding it completely. Maybe once you get your head on straight and want to get laid, then I can help you pick up.”  
Nate nods. “Uh huh. Sure big guy.”  
With that, Nate decides to leave, dragging Max out the door with him. He doesn’t want any more temptation, and all Matt did is make him want to kiss Tyson more.   
“Jesus, Nate. Where’s the fire?” Max asks.   
Nate hops in the car and waits for Max to do the same before he answers. “I felt like I was going to explode. Matt was trying to get me to pick up other guys, and I couldn’t stand it with Tyson giggling right there next to me. All I wanted to do was get my mouth on his.”  
Max chuckles. “Sorry, bud. Home?”  
Nate nods.   
Max chuckles for a way down the road. 

The Mile High Gala hits Nate way too fast. It’s a fun night as always. He bounces back and forth between hanging with Gabe and hanging with Tyson. Tyson is actually going around talking to fans, and Nate’s a little shier than Ty is so he hangs around and says hi to a few people before slipping away to find Gabe. But, halfway through the night, Gabe does the little interview the other players thing that someone is made to do every year. Nate escapes to find Jamie and his girlfriend, only to be bombarded by Gabe a few minutes later to interview the two of them. Nate rolls his eyes at Gabe afterwards. Jamie and Nate find Ryan and little later with his girlfriend. Nate fifth wheels for a while before joining back up with Ty.   
“Max has already left,” Ty whispers as they pass more fans.  
“Why didn’t he tell me?” Nate asks.  
Tyson stops at the dessert table, and Nate rolls his eyes fondly. “Because he wanted to give us an excuse to go home together,” Ty says, stuffing his face with a cookie.  
Nate chuckles and Tyson but quickly gets over it. He gets to spend the night with Ty. “You ready?” he asks.  
Tyson holds up a finger before grabbing a piece of cake. “Will you drive?” Nate sighs but fishes the keys out of Tyson’s pants pocket.   
“Let’s go.” They wave to fans and teammates as they leave. Well, Nate does. Ty does the best he can with cake in his hands. Gabe and Ryan laugh at him, so he does manage to give them the finger.   
Tyson eats hiss cake while Nate drives. He can’t help looking over and Ty now and again to watch him eating his ridiculous cake.   
“What? You got a problem with my cake?”  
Nate laughs and shakes his head. “No problem with the cake. Just think you’re really cute while you eat it.”  
Ty blushes and takes another bite of cake.  
Finally, they get back to Ty’s apartment. Ty tosses the used paper plate at the door before they go upstairs. It’s a blessing when the elevator doors close and there’s no one else with them. Nate is on Ty so quickly it’s unbelievable. He’s missed the feeling of Ty’s lips under his. He’s missed the way Ty moans when Nate nips his bottom lip. He hasn’t got much of this, keeping his time with Ty limited to just around other friends and teammates. Little pecks here and there around Gabe and Ryan, but not much more.  
The elevator doors open and they have to part to get to Ty’s actual apartment. Nate fumbles with the keys as Ty kisses his neck. They finally make it inside. Ty is pulling at Nate’s suit jacket, but Nate can’t be bothered to take his mouth off Ty to take their clothes off.   
“Nate,” Ty pants. “Come on.”  
“Bedroom first.” Nate breathes in the air from Ty’s mouth. Nothing makes him more intoxicated. Ty pulls him through the hall to the bedroom. The moment he throws Nate down on the bed he starts to strip him. Nate helps because he’s pretty sure Ty would just tear it all off otherwise. It isn’t long before Nate gets to see Tyson completely naked and his to behold for the first time in a long time.   
He runs his hands up Tyson’s body, marveling that it’s his. Ty whines on top of him, biting his lip. He rocks down onto Nate. Nate’s dick hardens instantly, like it wasn’t already. He grips Ty’s hips and rolls with it. Ty reaches down and scratches at Nate’s chest.   
“What do you want tonight?” Nate asks.  
“I want to fuck you,” Ty pants bending over. He rests his head on Nate’s shoulder, trying to catch his breath as Nate slowly rolls their dicks together.   
“Okay,” Nate breathes back. He rolls them over and grabs for the lube. He opens himself up on top of Ty. He revels in the faces Ty makes watching Nate open himself. He grips Ty’s shoulder as he fucks two fingers into himself. Finally, Ty starts reaching for a condom having enough of all the prep work. He slides it on and lubes himself up, still watching Nate groan above him.   
He takes Nate’s shoulders and flips them again, getting his legs around Nate’s hips. Nate grabs at Tyson’s hair with the hand that covered in lube but neither cares, because Tyson is sinking deep into Nate.  
Nate groans and pushes back into it, trying to get more of Ty. Nate is breathing as hard as if he just got off as long shift when Ty finally sinks all the way in. He’s barely holding himself up over Nate, breathing just as hard. Nate looks up, smiling fondly at Ty.   
“I love you.”  
Tyson hums and pressed their foreheads together. “I love you too.”  
Nate grips Ty’s arm as he slowly starts to rock. He doesn’t move much, just enough to rock his dick up to Nate’s prostate.   
Nate gasps, barely able to keep from coming right then and there.   
“You like that babe?” Ty says, fucking into him just a little hard.  
Nate mumbles out some words, hoping Ty understands. Even with just the little bit that he’s moving, Nate feels so overwhelmed. He knows it’s because he’s nineteen and hasn’t been laid in a while, but he also likes to think that doing this with Tyson makes it that much better.  
“You want more?”  
Nate gulps and nods. Tyson readjusts over Nate, placing a hand on either side of his head. That’s when the fucking really starts. Nate can’t contain his moans as Ty slams into him. He rips the orgasm right out of Nate, continuing until it’s too much. Nate whines to tell him, but at that moment, he can feel Tyson come, the warmth spilling into the condom. Tyson collapses on top of him, unable to support himself any longer. They breath together, soaking in the feeling of being together, truly being together, again.   
Nate runs his fingers through Ty’s sweaty curls, feeling. He’s missed this so much. He’s missed the feeling of everything from the weight of Tyson on his chest, to the feeling of being absolutely pounded to even the feeling of love that radiates from the two of them now.   
“How you feeling?” Ty asks quietly.   
“Good. Really, really fucking good.” Nate takes Ty’s face in his hands so they can kiss. It’s a passionate kiss, filled with everything Nate’s been feeling. Ty kisses back with as much enthusiasm, nipping and licking.   
“I’ve missed this so much,” Nate says, breathing in Tyson’s air.  
“Me too.” Ty kisses him again, until he runs out of energy to even do that.  
Nate waits, to see if he’s falling asleep. When he determines that Ty is actually falling asleep, he shakes him. “Babe, we can’t go to bed without showering. We have morning skate tomorrow and won’t have time for a shower, especially with the way we shower.”  
Ty groans, and Nate’s not sure if he understood what Nate said. It takes a minute, but Ty pushes himself u. Nate follows him to the bathroom, holding hands loosely. They get into the too hot water and scrub gently at each other’s skin. There are soft kisses on lips, on necks, on back. They kiss more than they clean, but Nate wouldn’t have it any other way. They lean on each other on the walk back to the bed, barely staying awake long enough to get there.   
They win the next day.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These next few chapters will have a little bit of angst but a lot of fluff! Thank you all for reading and enjoy!

It’s getting close to Christmas. Tyson loves Christmas, Nate has found, almost more than he loves Nate. He, Ryan, and Ty are all hang around Ty’s place, playing video games and eating food.   
The phone rings in the middle of a game. Ryan mumbles about fairness so Nate punches him in the shoulder.   
“Ow that hurt,” Ryan whines.  
“Oh, I’m sure it did, Princess,” Nate scoffs.  
Ryan makes a face a sticks his tongue out.  
“Very mature.”  
“Oh like you’re any better.”  
Nate tackles him onto the ground, and Tyson finds them like that, wrestling on the ground.  
“Guys!” he exclaims.  
They break it up with tongues out and mocking words.  
“What’s up?” Nate asks.  
Ty reaches down and helps him up. He beams at Nate as he starts. “It’s all finished. My cousins are coming down for a week to see us skate!”  
Nate smiles back, a little more confused. “Really? That’s awesome!” They sit back onto the couch, Ryan joining them. “Are these the ones that play hockey?”  
Ty nods. “According to their mother they’re super excited.”  
“Please tell me we are not babysitting munchkin Barries for a week,” Ryan moans.  
“Ha. Ha. No. Their parents are coming. I’m really excited. I haven’t seen them in forever.”  
“They live in Quebec, right?” Nate asks.  
“Yeah,” Ty says, slightly surprised. “I didn’t know I told you.”  
Nate nods. “It was a while back. I think when we were in Florida.”  
“Ew, you guys took a couple’s vacation?” Ryan exclaims.  
“Yeah, Ryan, we did. Got anything to say ‘bout it?” Nate says, making a “come at me bro” gesture.  
Ryan just sticks out his tongue again. “Can we get back to the game?”  
“Fine, fine.” Ty says. They pick up their controllers and unpause the game.   
A few days later, Tyson is rushing to get dressed after practice.  
“Dude, what’s the hurry?” Nate asks. “You’re gonna leave us here with Matt’s shitty taste in music.”  
Ty chuckles a little. “Gotta go pick up my cousins from the airport.”  
“Oh!” Nate exclaims. “Do you want me to come?”  
Ty shakes his head. “Nah. Take your time. We’ll go out to dinner with them after the game tomorrow.”  
Nate nods. “Yeah, sure.” With that, Ty is out the door, already showered and dressed.  
“Ha! Free aux cord!” Matt jumps on the chance to play country, while the majority of the team groans. The locker room clears pretty quickly after that, everyone trying to escape the ugly music blaring from the speakers.   
Nate doesn’t move though. He’s not really sure what to make of that. He was pretty sure Tyson was out to his family, but now he’s not so sure. He didn’t think his boyfriend’s sexuality was so much of a secret that he kept it from his family. Even Nate didn’t do that. Their support was often what kept him going when he didn’t think it was possible.   
“You okay?” Gabe asks, still slowly stripping next to Matt’s stall.  
Nate nods. “I’m fine. Just a little confused.”  
“Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Go get showered. You’re meeting part of the family today, are you not?”  
Nate shrugs. “I don’t actually know if I’m meeting them tonight.”  
“Well, go shower, just to be safe.”  
Nate chuckles, but finishes striping and follows his captain’s orders. He takes his time in the shower. There’s really no real hurry. Tyson is probably with his family. He took his own car here for once, saving Max the trouble because Nate didn’t know what was happening today. Most everyone is gone, by the time he leaves the showers. He’s the last one out of the locker room.   
He drives around Denver for a while, picking up fast food because he’s hungry. He’s got a snap waiting on his phone from Tyson. He opens it and sees the most adorable selfie with his little cousins. He sends back a derp face with “aww” written on it. He goes home to Max after that. He plays with Jaxson and the dogs while he tries to make sense of Ty’s actions today. Nate could’ve sworn Ty was out to his parents. He’d never been that secretive, at least that Nate had seen.   
“What ya thinking about, kid?” Max asks, sitting on the couch.   
Nate takes a breath, settling Jaxson in his lap. “Did Tyson seem of to you today?”  
Max shakes his head, but almost like he’s thinking. “No. Not that I noticed. Everything okay?”  
Nate nods. “I think so. Just got a weird feeling from him today.”  
“I’m sure it’s nothing.”  
Nate nods. “Yeah,” he says absently. His phone dings next to him. It’s Ty.  
Come over? My cousins want to meet you. :)  
He smiles. “Looks like I am going to meet the family. Don’t wait up for me for dinner. I’ll probably be eating there.”  
Max smiles. “That’s the boy I know. Go get changed.” He lifts Jaxson out of Nate’s lap.  
“Thanks.” He hurries to change, texting Ty “Be there soon.” He changes into a nice pair of jeans and a button up shirt. He throws on a jacket because it is December in Colorado.   
“See ya!” he calls to Max and Cynthia as he runs out. He hops in the car, so excited. He’s going to meet Tyson’s favorite cousins. It’s going to be amazing.   
He makes it to Tyson’s apartment in record time. He’s at the door and knocking before he knows it. He’s smiling so hard, his face hurts.   
Tyson seems to be smiling just as hard back when he opens the door. “Hey dude! They’re super excited to meet you.” He moves out of the way so Nate can come in, and Nate’s smile falters a little. Ty didn’t go for a kiss, even a hug. But, his smile comes back in full when he sees the little boys in Nate’s main room.   
“Hey guys!” he exclaims.   
Just then a woman comes out of the kitchen. “You must be Nate, Ty’s best friend! We’ve heard so much about you!” She gives him a huge hug. It leaves Nate kind of flustered.  
“Naomi, please,” Ty sighs.   
She pulls back. “So sorry. I should’ve introduced myself. I’m Naomi. I’m Tyson’s aunt."  
“Nice to meet you.” Nate smiles and shakes her hand, even though they just hugged like old friends.   
“My husband wasn’t able to make the trip down, but I’m sure the boys will be happy to meet you.”  
Nate turns to see the little boys cowering by Tyson. “Hey guys. What’s your names?” he asks.   
Tyson nods at the older one who steps forward. “I’m Jack,” he says, low and unsure.  
Nate smiles. “It’s nice to meet you, Jack. How old are you?”  
Jack looks up. “I’m nine.”  
“You getting to be a good hockey player already?” Nate asks, sitting down in front of the boy.  
He nods, excitedly. “I play on the ten and eleven-year-old teams because I’m that good.”  
“Wow! That’s impressive.”  
“Thanks,” he says bashfully, looking at the ground.  
“And what about your brother?” Nate asks.  
“I’m Alex,” he says quietly.  
“Do you play hockey too?” Nate asks.  
Alex nods.   
“How old are you?”  
“I’m seven. I play on the seven-year-old team.”  
“I bet you’re really good.”  
Alex nods, with the hint of a smile on his face.  
“Do you want to play NHL 14?” he asks, knowing Tyson has it.  
They nod excitedly.   
“Why don’t you go put the game in and Ty and I will join you in a minute?”  
They run off to Ty’s game room to get ready.  
Tyson smiles broadly at him. “You’re really good with them.”  
“Thanks, but Ty?”   
Ty stops going to the game room. “Yeah?”  
“I’m just… your best friend?” he asks softly and unsure.  
Ty hesitates before nodding. “Always, man.”  
Nate takes a shaky breath before following the boys into the game room. Ty isn’t out to his family. He might be out to his parents, but it’s unlikely. Shit. Why does this have to happen? Now, Nate’s worried. He knows Ty loves him, but now he doesn’t know if Ty is ever going to come out. The first step is telling your family, and that might not happen.  
He spends the afternoon playing NHL 14 and teasing the little kids. Ty’s aunt cooks a delicious meal. Nate thinks that Ty’s cooking is better, but he doesn’t say so. He might’ve just to Ty, if they were sleeping together. But, they’re not. Nate has to keep reminding himself that when he’s around other people he and Ty are just friends, best friends, but just friends.   
The boys squeal about the game tomorrow, and wish Nate good luck as he leaves.   
“I’ll walk you to your car,” Ty offers.   
Nate agrees, because there’s just no way for him to say no.  
The walk silently down the hall. Once the elevator doors have closed, giving them some privacy, Nate asks, “You’re not out to your family?”  
Ty swallows and shakes his head. “My sister knows. That’s it.”  
Nate sighs. “It’s easier to come out to them, than anyone else. You know that right?”  
Ty sighs, nodding. “It’s just, I think my dad will be disappointed in me. I’m a second generation hockey player, Nate. That’s not really something you tell your dad. I wish I could, but…” he trails off, fiddling with his hands.  
Nate takes Ty’s hands in his own. Ty’s eyes are so big, so scared. “Then, tell your mom, or tell Naomi, if you trust he that much. See how they react. If they love you, they will accept you for who you are and support you. I was scared to tell my parents at first too. Everything they did was to further my hockey, to help me get better, and this was something that could destroy everything they’d done for me. I know how you’re feeling Ty. You don’t have to jump in head first. No one expects that of you. I don’t expect that of you. All I’m asking is for you to test the waters. Cool?”  
Ty takes a deep breath. “Cool.” He smiles shakily up at Nate. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”  
Nate smiles back, just as the elevator dings. “You’d be a mess.”  
Ty walks him the rest of the way to his car, hand-in-hand.   
“See ya tomorrow?” Nate asks.  
“Of course.”  
Nate leans in and kisses Tyson lightly. “Good night. I love you.”  
Ty blushes. “I love you too.”  
The next day, Ty shows up to the rink with his aunt and cousins. He and Nate mess around on the ice, more for their amusement than anything else.   
“Hey, is it cool if I come over this afternoon?” Ty asks, back in the locker room.  
“You aren’t bringing those kids with you!” Max calls from across the room.  
“I know!” he calls back. Then, he switches his attention back to Nate. “I need to go through my pregame routine uninterrupted by my family.”  
Nate nods. “Of course dude.”  
Ty beams. “Thanks, man.” Once dressed, Ty hands his keys to Naomi and explains what’s going on. She smiles, understanding and herds her boys back to Ty’s car. Nate, Ty and Max all pile into Max’s car to go home.  
“Cynthia is making food for us,” Max says. “I let her know to include a third hockey player in her estimated totals.”  
Nate chuckles, leaning against Ty. He’d sat in the back so they could lean on one other, hold hands, sappy shit that they really can’t do anywhere else. Ty keeps on hand on Nate’s neck. The other curled in Nate’s hand. Ty keeps playing with the hair at the nape of Nate’s neck. It’s relaxing him, more than anything ever has. He loves Tyson hands. He could watch Tyson do anything with them for any amount of time.   
“You coming or what?”  
Nate startles, realizing they’re back at Max’s place. “Oh. Sorry.”  
Tyson chuckles and helps Nate out of the car. Cynthia is inside waiting with sandwiches and soup. Nate and Ty eat in front of the TV, watching some shit show on the Food Network. After their plates are in the dishwasher, they go to Nate’s room to take their pregame nap. It makes Nate so happy that they are going to sleep in the same bed again, even if they aren’t doing anything sexual. He loves just sleeping with Ty. He sleeps better with the weight of Ty’s arm over his waist. He loves the way Ty can nuzzle the nape of his neck because he’s a few inches shorter. He loves the warmth he gives off, and how it keeps him warm. They both strip off their shirts and Ty tackles him onto the bed. The dogs whine at the sudden intrusion in their space.  
“I love you,” he whispers in Nate’s ear.  
“I love you too.”  
They adjust themselves so Ty is wrapped around Nate, like he always is when they sleep. The dogs curl up at their feet, a little happier about this arrangement. “I told Naomi.”  
“About?”  
“Me. Us.”  
Nate smiles. “And?”  
“You were right. She’s super supportive. She’s really happy I told her. She also said she had her suspicions when you came over.” He pauses. “We’re not that obvious, are we?”  
Nate chuckles. “I don’t think so. She probably just knows you well.”  
Ty sighs. “That probably means my mom knows.”  
Nate rolls his eyes. “When you told your sister, assume it went to your mom too.”  
Ty groans and nestles his head in Nate’s neck.  
“It’s not going to be as bad as you think.”  
“I hope you’re right,” Ty mumbles into Nate’s skin  
“I was right about Naomi, wasn’t I?”  
“Yeah,” Ty mutters.  
“Trust me. It’ll be fine.”  
Tyson takes a deep breath. “Let’s hope so.”  
They settle in to sleep. Ty’s breathing evens out. Nate is out pretty soon after, listening and feeling Ty breath.   
Cynthia wakes them up later with just enough time to get changed and to the rink. They dress together, adjusting each other’s ties and slipping in kisses where they can.  
“Ty,” Nate whispers before they leave his room.  
“Hmm?” he hums in return.  
“I love you. Nothing will ever change that. Not your preconceived notions. Not your family’s. Not the league’s. Nothing. Do you understand?”  
Tyson looks up from the buttons on his jacket that he’d been fiddling with. He holds Nate’s gaze with love and passion. “Of course. You’re special, Nate. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to kiss a guy, let alone date one because of what I thought about myself. You’ve changed that so drastically. I came out to my aunt for you. I came out to a few members of our team for you. There’s so much I want to do for you, I’m just not ready yet.” He takes a step forward and laces his fingers with Nate’s. “Give me time, and everything will work itself out. I’m just a little scared is all.”  
Nate nods, smiling. Tyson kisses his softly. “Let’s go.”  
Nate follows Ty out the door, fingers still lingering together.  
“About time!” Max exclaims. “You guys are horrible. I’m really glad you’re not with us all the time, Tyson.”  
Tyson chuckles. “Let’s just go, okay?”  
The stop for coffee as per Nate’s routine. He argues with Ty the whole way to the rink whether or not it’s okay that he got the most sugar-loaded drink on the menu. Max finally gets them to shut up, just by yelling at him. Let it be known that Maxime Talbot can be scary when he’s angry.  
The boys chuckle after he’s cooled down a bit, which gets them a huff.  
“If you’re going to act like this, you’re walking the rest of the way to the rink,” he grumbles.   
The problem with Nate and Ty sitting in the back: Max has full access to the music and they have none. Nate lays against Ty for the rest of the trip, sipping gently at his coffee.   
They don’t get any heat from the guys when they walk into the locker room. It had been pretty clear earlier why Ty had wanted to spend the afternoon at Max’s place. Even Matt is unusually silent. It’s an odd atmosphere in the locker room.   
Ty quickly gets his hands on the aux cord. He and Nate start dancing around and singing, pulling people into the middle of the room to do the same. It isn’t long before the whole room is singing Don’t Stop Believing and dancing all over the room, in all sorts or dressed and undressed.   
“Men!” Roy barks. Everyone freezes. A mad Roy is something no one wants to see. “Get dressed and on the ice!” Just then the music gets really loud and starts blaring the chorus. The whole room cracks up, including Roy.   
They finished getting dressed and go out on the ice for warmup. At some point, the DJ starts playing Don’t Stop Believing. The teams cracks up and sings under their breath as they take practice shots and warmup their stickhandling.   
It’s a good game. Ty gets a goal and assist. Nate gets the goal that Ty assists. Ryan gets a goal, and they win by a decent margin of two.  
“Dinner?” Ty asks, after the media has left.  
“With your family?” Nate asks.  
Ty nods.  
“Can Ryan come too?” Nate asks. Ty telling Naomi, and Ty being okay with Nate being affectionate in public are two very different things. Tyson must get that because he nods. Nate smiles. “Hey, O’Rielly. We’re going out to dinner, and you’re coming!” Nate shouts.  
“Am I paying?” Ryan yells back.  
“Nope, Tyson is!”  
The locker room hollers at Nate volunteering Ty.  
“Not for all of you, you fools,” Ty grumbles. “Sometimes, I don’t know why I like you,” Tyson mumbles into Nate’s ear.  
Nate just smiles and goes to shower, towel wrapped around his waist.  
They park outside of Tyson’s favorite restaurant; the address Ty had texted Naomi from the back of Ryan’s car. Ryan hands over the keys to the valet.  
“What are we waiting for?” Ryan asks, as Tyson and Nate hesitate to go inside.   
“Ty’s aunt and cousins.” Nate shoves his hands into his coat pockets. Denver is fucking cold in the winter.   
Ryan groans. “I didn’t know we were going to have company.”  
“It’s why I invited you,” Nate mutters.  
Ryan stares at Nate for a second, then Ty. “Oh, I see now. I fucking hate you, MacKinnon.”  
“No, you love me,” Nate says in a high pitched voice.  
Just then, Naomi pulls up. The boys jump out of the backseat to congratulate Tyson on his game. They’re both talking at the top of their lungs and speaking so fast, Tyson doesn’t have time to get a word in.   
“Boys, slow down,” Naomi says coming around the side of the car. She hands Tyson’s keys to the valet as well.   
“Inside?” Nate suggests, as he’s slowly freezing.  
“Good idea,” Naomi agrees. She leads her boys in a hand on each of their backs.   
Tyson goes up to the hostess. “Barrie.”  
She looks down at her papers. “Party of 5?” she asks.  
“Can we add one more?”   
She nods quickly. “Follow me.” They follow the woman to a table set up near the back. She pulls up an extra chair for Ryan. “A server will be around momentarily.”  
Tyson thanks her and sits down. Nate does sit next to him, because how can he not. Jack sits down at the head of the table next to Tyson.   
“Why am I here again?” Ryan mumbles, sitting down opposite of Jack.   
“Moral support, so I don’t have to be the only friend here,” Nate whispers back.  
“I thought Ty was out to his family.”  
“Did he tell you that?” Nate asks.  
Ryan nods.  
“He lied.”  
“What kind of wine do you boys like?” Naomi asks.  
The three hockey players look between one another, unsure how to answer.   
She chuckles to herself. “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot. Hockey players don’t really drink wine. What about you then, Ty?” she asks.  
“You know what I prefer,” he answers.  
“You drink wine?” Nate asks, not really all that surprised. It fits him better than hard liquor and beer.  
Ty nods. “At home, mostly.” He turns to Naomi. “They have a really nice selection here. Do you mind if I order the wine?”  
She shakes her head. “Not at all.”   
The waiter comes then. Tyson orders two bottles of a wine that sounds very French and very foreign. Nate’s not even sure he’d be able to pronounce the thing. The kids look to their mom before ordering sodas. The waiter pours them all glasses of water before he leaves them to look at the rest of the menu.  
“So, Ryan, correct?” Naomi asks.  
Ryan nods.   
“You’re another one of Tyson’s close friends then?”  
He nods. “Buddies since day one. Then, this kid came and made joined right up with us.”  
“That must’ve been really nice, Nate, having three instant friends like that.”  
Nate chuckles. “It wasn’t exactly instant, but it was sure nice once we were friends.”  
Something crosses Naomi’s face, but Nate can’t place it. She’s smiling again before even knows anything changed at all.   
Tyson clears his throat. Nate looks down at his menu, trying to find something to eat. Not long later, the waiter comes back with the wine and to take their orders. Everyone looks around the table to make sure everyone is ready to order.   
Ty starts and they go around the table, the kids getting hamburgers and mac and cheese. Ty tastes the wine before the waiter pour it into everyone’s glasses. Ty nods and he pours into all the glasses, just assuming Ryan and Nate are old enough to drink it.   
Nate takes a sip, glancing at Tyson over his glass. He pulls the glass away, taken aback by how good it is. “Wow Ty. You have really good taste in wine.”  
Ty chuckles and Naomi takes a sip. “It is really good, Tyson. Your parents taught you well.”  
From there conversation takes off. Nate and Ty both talk to the kids, Ryan a little too unsure to do so. The food comes, which is amazing. Nate has to refrain himself from saying it’s orgasmic, just to push Tyson’s buttons. There are kids at the table, which is the only reason he holds his tongue, well not the only reason. He wants to impress Tyson’s aunt, especially now that she knows who he really is to Ty.   
Tyson declines dessert when the waiter asks. Ty pays, refusing to let Naomi even pay a little bit.  
“Picture, please?” Naomi asks before the walk out.  
Ty nods reluctantly. The kids crowd in front of the three hockey players while Naomi takes a picture. They walk out of the restaurant, saying their good-byes. Tyson leaves with Naomi and the kids to go back to his own apartment. Nate is only a little sad, but he and Ryan jam out as Ryan takes him home. His dogs whine when he comes inside. He crouches down to give them love before getting ready for bed.  
As Nate is getting ready for bed, he scrolls through Instagram. There’s a picture on Ty’s from that night that he’s tagged in. The one Naomi had taken of them. It’s captioned, “Me @snookorielly @mackinnon29 with my little cousins, some future NHLers! @tnafam6”. Nate smiles and hits “like”.  
He’s in the shower when his phone dings. When he gets out, there’s a text from Ty waiting for him.  
Got a random question real quick.  
Nate’s brow scrunches up in confusion. Shoot.  
The little dots appear as Ty is typing to respond. I was just wondering, before things got to close, which they might already be, if you had plans for Christmas?  
Nate stares at the message for a long time. Long enough that Ty sends and extra question mark. He shakes his head to clear it before typing. No what were u thinking with the little smirk emoji. The dots appear again as Tyson is typing.  
I was hoping you’d come home with me for Christmas.  
Even though Nate had sort of thought that’s where this was going, it still takes the breath out of him to see it written on the screen. The dots are still there, like Ty is still typing, but Nate hits call. Tyson picks up on the first ring.   
“Hey,” he says quietly.  
“Are you serious?” Nate asks, softly.  
“Yeah.” Tyson pauses. “I want to come out to my parents… and” he says stretching the “and” a little, “I want you to be there with me.”  
Nate lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Wow, Ty.” He doesn’t know what else to say. That’s a lot. Ty is willing to come out to his parents in a few days, and he wants Nate there with him to do it. It blows Nate’s mind.  
“I told you there was a lot I want to do for you. This is something I think I’m ready for.”  
“Oh my god, Ty.” Nate sits down hard on his bed. He can’t have the rest of this conversation standing. He doesn’t know how he did the first part of it standing.   
“Will you… will you be there?” Ty asks hesitantly.  
“Of course! Of course I will. I’m so proud of you. I’m so happy you want to do this, and… and with me.”  
“Of course I want to do it with you. Who the fuck else would I ask? Max?”   
Nate cracks up at that.   
“I’ll send you flight information once I’ve got it. You have no idea how happy this makes me.”  
“Me too, Ty. Me too.” Nate can’t stop beaming. It feels like everything is finally falling into place for him.   
“I love you, babe.”  
“Love you too,” Nate breathes.  
“Good night.”  
“Good night.” Nate hangs up the phone, still not really able to breathe. It’s incredible. He’s so happy. He’s so beyond happy. Holy shit. His boyfriend is coming out to his family, and Nate gets to be there. It seems so surreal. It feels like something Nate only dreamed of. He sneaks into Jaxson’s room and grabs the sleeping tot before going back to his own bed. Oscar and Duke curl up at his feet, while he keeps a protective arm around Jaxson. He sleeps with a smile on his face.   
Nate tells his parents and Max the next morning about his plans. His mom is super happy to hear Tyson is embracing it. Max is happy, but a little concerned since Nate isn’t going home to visit his own family.  
“I’ll be fine Max. They understand. Mom’s happy for me.”  
“I’m happy for you too, kid. I just want to know this is what you want.”  
Nate rolls his eyes. “Oh, come on, Max. You know this is something I want more than anything. Ty’s taking a big step for me and wants me to be there. There’s nothing that’s going to stop me from going.”  
Max sighs. “That’s not what I’m trying to do.” He sighs again and shakes his head. “Have a good trip,” he says a little more cheerfully.   
Nate smiles. “Thanks man.” He turns away to go get ready for practice, but then turns back. “You’ll look after my dogs, right?”  
Max chuckles. “Of course, dude. I’m not that cruel.”  
Nate lets out a sigh of relief. “I’d hope not.”   
They go to practice, but Nate barely does anything. His focus is on his Christmas trip. He beyond excited. He gets to actually meet Tyson’s family. He gets to help Ty come out. He gets to have Christmas with his boyfriend’s family. It’s beyond incredible.  
Gabe checks him from behind. It’s really a light check, but it sends Nate sprawling because he’s not paying attention. “Can’t even skate straight! Some first overall!” Matt calls from across the ice. Gabe laughs before offering a hand up. “Where’s your head, dog?” he asks.  
Nate rolls his eyes. “A better place than here right now.”  
“Ouch. That hurts dude,” Gabe says, covering his heart.  
“Yeah, yeah. I’m so sure.”  
“But, seriously. Where are you, because it’s not on the ice.”  
Nate takes a deep breath. “I’m going to Tyson’s for Christmas.”  
Gabe’s eyes go wide. “Really?”  
Nate nods. “I’m so excited.”  
“You’re going to meet his family?” Gabe asks.  
Nate chuckles. “That’s kind of what that means, Gabe.”  
“Are you meeting them as a friend or as a boyfriend?”  
“Nate has a boyfriend?” Matt asks, skating up.  
“Get out of here, Dutchy,” Gabe says, shoving Matt’s shoulder.  
“No! I wanna hear about Nate’s boy! I didn’t know you were actually dating someone dude!” He looks genuinely happy, but he’ll probably chirp Nate for it later.   
“Maybe later, Dutch.”  
Dutch scowls. “Aww. I was all excited.”  
“Go shoot the god damn puck,” Gabe says in his stern captain tone.  
Matt skates away, making at face at the both of them.   
“Anyway,” Gabe says, turning back to Nate.  
“As his boyfriend,” Nate says with a blush and a smile.  
“Really?” Gabe looks excited, maybe not as much as Nate feels, but pretty close.  
Nate nods.   
“You have no idea how happy I am for you!” Gabe hugs Nate.  
“Boys, let’s go!” Roy shouts from the other end of the rink. The two give each other looks before racing down the ice to participate in practice.   
Later, in the locker room, Matt asks about Nate’s boyfriend. “Come on, Nate. I’m not asking or juicy details. I just wanna know a little bit. I haven’t even heard about this guy.”  
Nate huffs, unlacing a skate. “Maybe it’s because I knew you would act like this.”  
Matt pouts and plops down next to him in his stall. “Aw, come one. Just tell me a little about this guy. Does he at least like hockey?”  
Nate hears Tyson cough, probably to cover a laugh. “Yeah. He’s a huge fan.” He looks up and sees that it’s more than Matt listening. EJ, Calvin, Nick (Ty’s new D partner), and Varly are all actively paying attention. Nate can see everyone else in the room, is listening but pretending not to. He sighs. “He’s a good guy. Really sweet and good with kids.”  
“I’m not really sure how to ask this because I’m straight but is he… do you…”  
Nate laughs. “Is he hot?” he asks for Matt.  
Matt nods. “Yeah.”  
Nate smiles, nodding. He’s thinking about Ty, who’s standing right next to him. “He’s really hot. He’s built like a basketball star.”  
“Okay, man. I said no juicy details. Just details,” Matt says with a wiggle of his eyebrows. The younger players who are actually listening chuckle, Tyson along with them.  
“Fine, then I’m done.” Nate goes back to unlacing his skates.  
“Why didn’t we meet him at the Gala?” Matt asks.  
“Weren’t dating then,” Nate says, the first thing that’s a lie.   
“So this is fairly new?”  
Nate wiggles his shoulder, noncommittally.   
“You’re horrible. How am I supposed to be a wingman for you if you don’t tell me anything?”  
Nate scoffs. “Like you could ever be my wingman.”  
“Oh, you don’t think so?” Matt asks.  
Nate scoffs. “I know so.”  
“Fine. Come to me next time you’re single.”  
Nate rolls his eyes. “As if.”  
“You’ll see.” Matt retreats to his own stall to peel off drying hockey pads.   
Nate finishes undressing and wraps a towel around his waist to go shower.


	10. Chapter Ten

They have the afternoon game the Saturday they’re set to fly back. They play well enough to pull out a win. It’s really exhilarating. Nate and Ty try to be as subtle as possible about hurrying through postgame. They have a flight to catch to Victoria. They are dressed and out of the locker room before most everyone else has even finished their showers. Nate is beaming as he climbs into Ty’s car. Ty picked him up for the game, so Nate could put his suitcase in so they could just get out.  
They haul ass out of downtown Denver for the quick fifteen-minute commute to the airport. Ty parks in the covered parking. They scramble out, beyond excited. Nate has to keep his free hand clenched in a fist to keep himself from reaching for Ty’s. They check in quickly, and slide through the TSA Pre-check. They’re boarding their first-class flight about an hour later of sitting in hard, airport chairs. With plenty of legroom and privacy in their row, Nate stretches out and laces his fingers with Ty’s. They wait, practically leaning one each other, for the plane to take off. Once it does, they are asleep, Tyson’s head on Nate’s shoulder, Nate’s head on Ty’s head.   
They are woken up as the plane is beginning its decent. Ty wakes up slowly next to Nate, while he looks around to check that they have all their things. They should because they slept the entire flight, but it’s worth a look.   
Tyson tightens his grip on Nate’s hand as he finally wakes up all the way. Nate smiles at him. He wants to kiss him but knows he can’t. He won’t be able to until he’s in the privacy of Tyson’s old bedroom. Maybe, he can kiss anywhere in the house once Ty’s come out to his parents.   
They get to baggage claim to grab their bags. They are staring blankly at the moving conveyer belt when someone jumps on Tyson from behind.  
“Ah!” Tyson exclaims. The girl slides off his back, beaming. “Victoria!” They hug tightly, as a man who must be Tyson’s father comes up.  
“So happy to see ya, little bro!”  
“Can’t believe it’s been so long already. I hate not seeing you guys!” Tyson says, going from hugging his sister, to hugging his father.   
“It’s good to see ya, sport.”  
“You too, Dad.”   
Nate can hear Ty choking up. He nudges Ty. “Our bags.” Ty jerks away from his dad to help Nate grab the bags.   
“Ready?” Victoria asks. She has this confidence like she’s already met Nate. Tyson must’ve told her in advance, if he’d already come out to her. Lennie is a little more hesitant. He’s probably seen Nate skate, but nothing more. He has no idea who his son has brought home for Christmas. Nate understands his concern. He’s probably figured it out by now anyway. Tyson coming out will only be a formality.  
Ty nods. They head out to the car. “Where’s mom?” Ty asks as they’re loading bags.  
Victoria laughs. “You’ll see.”   
“What do you mean?” Ty asks, a little scared.  
“Exactly that!” she laughs. “’You’ll see!’” She takes Nate’s bag from him to load. “You must be Nate. I’ve heard a lot about you.” She offers him her hand once the bag is loaded.   
He shakes it a few times. “It’s nice to meet you.”  
“Len,” Ty’s dad says, when Nate turns around, hand out.  
“Nate. Nice to meet you sir.”  
Len smiles uncertainly before getting into the driver’s seat. Tyson herds Nate into the back seat with him. Victoria smiles knowingly as she slides into the passenger’s seat. She plays Christmas music on the fairly short drive to the Barrie household. Nate can see Ty’s hand clenched on his knees. He really wants to reach for them and unclench the white knuckled grip. He knows it’s going to be okay, but with Len glancing back in the review mirror every so often, he doesn’t dare. Victoria also glances back occasionally, with a knowing smirk on her face.   
They finally come to a little suburb outside Victoria, BC. There are Christmas lights up, and a lighted Christmas tree in the window. It’s so cute, and Nate couldn’t be happier that he’s here. A little dog barks at their feet as they struggle to get luggage into the house.   
“Tyson!” a woman calls from the other room.   
“Mom!” Ty drops his bag in the doorway, despite the grumblings of his father. “Holy shit!” he exclaims walking into the living room. Nate follows, Victoria laughing in the mudroom. He drops his bag by the couch where Ty is sitting with his mom. The woman has her foot propped up at moulded with a thick ass cast. “What happened?” Ty exclaims. He picks up the little dog that’s been following him around yapping.   
His mom laughs a little. “I was putting up the lights.”  
“You fell!” Tyson exclaims.  
She nods. “It really wasn’t all that bad.”  
“Mom, you broke your leg.”   
Victoria is still laughing. “Yeah, bro. She did. Hence the cast and such.”  
“Oh shut up.” He turns back to his mom. “Really, are you okay?”  
His mom nods. “Of course, honey. Everything is fine.”   
Tyson sighs and sits down next to his mom.   
She hangs her back on the couch to look at Nate. “Oh, you must be Tyson’s friend that came with him! Please! Come sit down! Don’t be shy! I’m Kristie.”  
Nate blushes and comes around to sit on a chair across from the couch.   
“It’s nice to meet you, honey. Victoria, did you set up the air mattress in Ty’s room?”  
Victoria laughs, then coughs. “Yeah, Mom.”  
Nate forces himself not to roll his eyes. She totally didn’t set up the air mattress. She totally knows who Nate is, why he’s here, and what the two of them are.  
“Did you boys get any dinner?” she asks.  
Ty shakes his head. “We’ll figure something out. You and Dad should go to bed.”  
“Are you sure honey?”  
Ty smiles, holding his mom’s hand. “We’ll catch up tomorrow. There’s plenty of family time this trip. No worries. Good night.” He kisses her forehead and helps her up and to Lennie.  
“Night Ty. Night Victoria.” Len says.  
“Night boys!” Kristie calls as they go off down a hallway.  
“So, what’s for dinner, baby bro?” Victoria asks.  
Ty shrugs. “What do they have?”  
Victoria laughs. “Who knows.”  
Nate smiles at that, feeling a little more comfortable knowing that everyone in the room know what he and Ty are.  
Ty rummages in the fridge and Victoria sits down next to Nate. “So you’re the boy my baby brother just cannot shut up about.”  
Nate blushes. “He… uh.. talks about me?”  
Victoria laughs. “All the fucking time. You should hear our phone conversations. It’s Nate this and Nate that. I thought it was an obsession for the longest time. You have no idea how hard it was for me to get him to shut up and talk about something else. It wasn’t until he admitted you were together that I understood where all this talk was coming from. It’s adorable. I’ve never seen him so in love.”  
Nate blushes again. He looks across the kitchen, where Tyson is cooking. Whatever he’s whipping up in there smells amazing.   
“Do I have to give you the older sibling talk about don’t break his heart?”  
Nate shakes his head. “I’m all in. I’m pretty sure I’d spend the rest of my life with him, given the chance.”  
Victoria smiles with the warmth of an older sister. Nate’s never had an older sister, of any kind. Sid has always been his older brother, and Taylor has always been their younger sister. But, he can feel that he and Victoria are going to bond quickly. He could tell the second that she jumped on Ty’s back at the airport, that they were as close as two siblings could be. This love that she’s radiating to him, just shows how much support Ty has, even just from this one person. If his whole family is like that, he’ll have nothing to worry about.   
“What are you two doing in there?” Ty asks, poking his head around the wall. “it’s like you’re scheming away at some master plan.”  
“Maybe we are,” Victoria says, with a hint of a challenge in her voice.  
“Then, you get no food unless I’m in on it.”  
Victoria smiles at her brother. “Deal.” She helps Nate up and they go to the breakfast bar to eat together. Tyson serves up some quickly made stew into bowls. Nate inhales it, loving the taste. Anything Ty cooks is perfect.  
“You didn’t make this. Dad made this two nights ago.”  
Ty gives a half shrug. “I found it in the fridge, put it on the stove and added new spices. Tell me it doesn’t taste better than the first night you had it.” Ty posses with his hands on his hips.  
“It doesn’t taste better than the first night I had it,” Victoria says with a straight face.  
Nate watches the face off happen in front of him, until the two burst into laughter.   
“Okay, okay. It is better than what Dad made.”  
Ty huffs. “See? He just doesn’t know how to spice things.”  
“That’s why Mom normally does the cooking,” Victoria says, leaning closer to Ty. “But, as you can probably tell, she’s been dishabilitated for a while.   
Nate nods. “Ty is an excellent cook.”  
Victoria nods and grins. “He learned it all from our mother.”  
“You learned too,” Ty protests.  
“Yeah, but you were always way better than me.”  
‘’You’re a better baker than I am,” Ty points out.  
“That’s only because literally anything you even try to make fails miserably.”  
“Oh, so, you aren’t necessarily trying to stick to your diet plan. It’s you physically can’t make anything to go against it.”  
Ty sighs, giving Nate a glare.  
“He’s still got that sweet tooth, eh?” Victoria asks.  
Nate scoffs. “Like anything could ever get in the way.”  
They laugh together, at the expense of the boy they both love.  
“Seriously guys?” Ty whines.  
Victoria and Nate look at each other before nodding. “Yes,” they say together.  
Ty rolls his eyes. “Fine. No food for the rest of the trip.”  
“Hey!” Nate complains.  
“I’m just making due on my threat earlier. You still haven’t included me in your schemes,” Ty says, hands on his hips.   
Victoria shrugs. “it’s not like we could tell you even if we wanted to. It’s confidential.”  
“It’s confidential, huh?”  
“Umm hmm,” Nate nods.  
“I’ll show you confidential.” She scrambles around the counter, sending Victoria fleeing for another room. The little dog yaps as they chase each other around.  
“Bear, be quiet!” Tyson hushes. “You too, sis.”  
“Oh, now you’re going to be all responsible?” Victoria asks, now the one with hands on her hips.   
“Well, someone’s gotta do it,” Ty replies.  
“Can we go to bed?” Nate finally asks.  
“Oh! Yeah! Sorry,” Ty says, working back to Nate. “Generally when I come home, Vic and I are up until all hours of the morning talking and teasing.” He wraps his arms around Nate’s middle. “You finished your food?”  
“Not quite, but I figure we should be heading to bed soon.”  
Ty nods. “Of course.” He presses a small cheek into Nate’s neck that makes him smile.   
“You two love birds don’t make any noise tonight. That’s more information about my brother’s sex life than I want to know.” Victoria whispers, heading off to what must be her own room.  
The little dog, Bear, yaps at her again.  
“I don’t know why he’s not sleeping with Mom and Dad,” she says.  
“It’s because I’m here,” Ty replies.  
“Only because he thinks you’re a stranger trying to rob us.”  
“Ha. Ha. Very funny.”  
“See you in the morning little bro, and little bro’s boy.”   
Nate gives a small wave as she disappears behind a door.  
“I have a bad feeling about the two of you together,” Ty sighs.  
Nate smiles. “It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”  
“Yeah. That’s what I’m worried about.” He runs a hand through Nate’s hair. “I’m going to put our bags in my room. You finish your food and put the bowl in the sink when you’re done.”  
Nate nods. He takes a bite while he watches Ty work. He could watch Ty work for ages. He loves that he can see the way the muscle flexes under all his shirts, even under his hoodies sometimes. How he ever got someone as wonderful as Ty, he will never know. He watches where Ty goes so that when he takes his last bite of stew, he follows right to where Ty is.  
Nate was right. Victoria didn’t set up the air mattress in Ty’s room. It’s not a twin bed. Probably a double or a queen, so sharing won’t be horrendous, not like Nate would complain about Ty using him as a pillow.   
“Hey.” He closes the door softly and finds his way into Ty’s arms. He wraps Ty up, tucking his chin over Ty’s head. “Your sister loves you.”  
Ty sighs a little. “I know.”  
“She’ll be a huge support later, when you tell…”  
Nate can feel Ty smile against his chest. “I know. And you will be too.”  
Nate nods as well as he can. “Of course. I’ll always be here. No matter what.”  
They stay there for a little longer before stripping to the underwear for bed. They curl together, like they always do when sleeping together. Bear hops up on the bed next to them. Nate hadn’t even notice the little guy come in. 

A breath against Nate’s neck is what wakes him in the morning. His back is tight against Ty’s torso. He doesn’t even think Tyson is awake yet, just breathing calmly on Nate’s neck. Nate smiles and relaxes into the feeling of the rise and fall of Ty’s chest. A little snore escapes Bear at the foot of the bed. He never wants this to end, this feeling of calm and content. Nothing is more peaceful than laying in Tyson arms in bed.   
Ty’s arms tighten a little around Nate’s chest. There’s a hitch in his breath, then a sigh. These are familiar to Nate now: the telltale signs of Tyson waking up. It’ll be a little longer until he’s coherent, but the soft scritches of Ty’s blunt fingernails against his skin is something he’s come to enjoy.   
“Good morning,” Nate whispers.  
“Morning,” Ty mumbles into the back of Nate’s neck.   
“Aw, you two are too cute.”  
Ty and Nate both startle at Victoria who is standing just inside the doorway.  
“What the fuck are you doing?” Ty asks, tone hushed.  
“Waking you up, of course. Mom wants you to eat breakfast with us. I know you’re hockey boys on break, but you still have to eat breakfast with the family. So come on. Get up.”  
Ty groans and nuzzles his face into Nate’s side.   
“Ew. That’s disgusting. Get the fuck up, bros.” With that she leaves, slamming the door shut.   
“Okay, if she’s going to act like that every morning, maybe this friendship won’t work after all,” Nate says.  
Ty laughs, the vibrations tickling Nate’s skin. “I hope that’s not every morning. I actually want to sleep over break.” He kisses Nate’s side before sitting up. “Ready to face the music?”  
Nate grins at his boyfriend. “Always.”  
They get dressed together, stumbling over Bear and laughing at the hurt look on his face. They’re still laughing as they walk out to greet the rest of the family.  
“Morning boys,” Kristie says. She’s sitting at the dining table, foot propped up on a chair next to her.  
“Morning,” Nate says. He sits down at the breakfast bar, next to Victoria.   
“Dad, let me help,” Tyson says, joining his dad in the kitchen.   
“No, son, you don’t need to.” But, by the looks of it, Len is struggling with the amount of food he was attempting to cook.  
“It’s cool, Dad. I want to.” Ty smiles at Len and flips the pancakes that are burning on the griddle. Len smiles at Tyson, obviously grateful for the help. “Dad, why don’t you cut some fruit? It could either be a salad or just something to eat with the rest of this.”  
Len nods. “What do you kids want?”  
“Strawberries!” Victoria exclaims immediately. “I saw them in the fridge so you can’t deny that you have any.”  
Len huffs. “We were saving them, Victoria.”  
“So? You were probably saving them for when Tyson was home, and now he’s home, so we can use them.”  
“Nate, what about you?” Len asks.  
“Uh, I’m not really picky,” Nate stammers.  
Tyson rolls his eyes. “His favorites are oranges and strawberries. Those are enough to satisfy him.”  
Len looks uncomfortably between Tyson and Nate before going to get the strawberries out of the fridge.   
“You boys spend a lot of time together off the ice then?” Kristie asks.  
Nate nods. “We’re roadie roommates.”  
Kristie smiles. “Well, it seems like more than that.”  
Nate blushes and looks at Victoria for help.  
Victoria laughs, picking up where Nate left off. “If snaps my brother has sent me are any indication, I’d say they spend half their time playing video games, a fourth eating, and the last fourth playing hockey.”  
Kristie and Victoria laugh, while the tension in Nate and Ty seeps away. The sooner Ty comes out, the less painful this will be. Nate can see Tyson struggling. He’s standing over the omelet he’s making, staring at it, but not really looking. There’s still tension in his shoulders and neck. Nate watches his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows. He glances over at Victoria, and she can see it too.  
“Ty, can I have a glass of water?” she asks.  
That gets him moving. “Why do you get it yourself?” he asks it in the teasing sort of brotherly way.  
“Because you’re already in the kitchen.”  
“I’m cooking you food.” he retorts.  
She makes a face, but gets up to get herself a glass of water. She passes Ty on her way back and whispers something in his ear. Nate watches him swallow and nod. She sits back down and whispers to Nate. “Go to him. He wants to tell Mom and Dad. He needs you.”  
Nate nods and hops down from his seat. He’s very conscious of Len’s eyes as he crosses the kitchen. “What do you need?” Nate asks when he’s next to Ty.  
Ty shakes his head. Nate can see the tears pooling in his eyes.   
“I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you need.”   
Tyson finally turns to look at Nate. “Hold my hand, please.” There’s fear in his eyes. Nate wants to take that away so bad. He wants to kiss each of Tyson’s eyes and make the tears go away.  
He nods, and gently grasps Ty’s hand.  
“Mom, uh, that’s something I actually wanted to talk to you guys about,” Ty starts. Nate turns off the stove before he and Tyson walk away. Ty would be so pissed at himself if he let an omelet burn. He can feel Len’ gaze burning into their joined hands.  
“What honey?” Kristie asks.  
Tyson clears his throat. Nate can see him preparing the words in his head. “There’s, actually, a really important reason why Nate and I spend so much time together.”  
“Oh?” Kristie asks, eyebrows raised.  
Nate can see the concern in Victoria’s eyes for her brother. He can feel the tension radiating from Len. He’s not sure if Kristie knows, but Len certainly does.   
Tyson swallows again. Nate tightens his grip on Ty’s hand and looks up at him. He’s struggling. Nate can see it. He’s not going to be able to get the words out.   
“We’re together,” Nate says for him. There’s s visible release in the tension in Tyson. Ty nods with Nate. “Like, dating, together,” Nate clarifies, if it wasn’t clear enough to begin with. Nate keeps his eyes fixed on Kristie, scared of the reaction of Len more than her.   
Her look of questioning changes to a soft, happy smile. “Ty, I was wondering when you were going to tell us.”  
“Huh?” Ty asks. Nate is just as surprised.  
Kristie smiles, big and broad. “I had always suspected you like boys. You never seemed all that interested in girls, even though you blamed it on hockey.”  
Nate smiles at Tyson’s baffled look, trying not to laugh. He kisses Ty softly on the cheek. “See, I told you it wouldn’t be that bad.”   
Ty’s surprise melts away it short bursts of laughter. “You’re really okay with it?” Ty asks.  
“Son, while it may make things complicated for the two of you, we will always accept who you are. You’ve always been our son, and always will be. It doesn’t matter who you love,” Len says, going to stand next to Kristie.   
While it seems fairly sincere to Nate, there seems to be dome reservation that Len isn’t voicing. It might be old prejudices or something else, but Nate holds a little worry in his mind from Len.   
Ty breathes out a sigh of relief at his father’s words. “You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that.” He lets go of Nate hand but wraps an arm around his shoulders instead. “So, this is my boyfriend, Nate.”   
Nate smiles so hard it hurts.   
“It’s wonderful to meet you honey,” Kristie says beaming.   
Nate glance back at Victoria, who is still in complete shock. His attention is drawn back to Kristie when she asks “How long have you two been together?”   
Nate glances at Ty and sees a big smile on his face. “About a year,” Ty says. Kristie’s smile gets bigger, happier, but Len, something crosses his face before happiness that Nate can’t place, maybe he doesn’t want to place it.   
“Really?” Kristie exclaims. “This long and you didn’t tell us?”  
Ty looks down at the floor. The tone his mother used was supporting and teasing a little, but it’s the words that hit him, Nate can see.  
“He wasn’t ready yet,” Nate says, in Ty’s defense. “He was even scared to tell me. He didn’t want to ruin our friendship, if I wasn’t… well… into him the same way.” He looks at Tyson, trying to convey how much he cares, to show him how this is all okay. None of it really matter all that much. Ty looks back with uncertainty, but love as well. Nate can see how much he being here is helping.   
Kristie smiles at the two of them. “That’s perfectly okay. We’ll just have to make up for missed time.” Everyone in the room is smiling. So far everything is going well. “Now, why don’t you and Ty get back in the kitchen, Len. I’m sure we’re all getting hungry.”  
Len nods, and Tyson unwinds himself from Nate, giving him a small kiss before going back to cook.   
“You two are adorable,” Kristie says. Nate blushes and returns to his seat next to Victoria.   
She smiles at him. “This why he needed you here. I couldn’t have done what you just did.”  
“Thanks.” He doesn’t really know how to respond to all of this. It’s all fairly overwhelming. He wasn’t expecting the overwhelming support from his family because of the way Tyson had been talking about it earlier.   
“Go over there and be with your boy.” Victoria nudges him, seeming as happy as Nate feels.  
He gets up and goes to Ty. He wraps his arms around Ty’s waist and hangs his head on Ty’s shoulder.  
“Hey,” Ty says, still staring at the omelet he’s making.   
“Hey,” Nate says back. “Is that for me?”  
Tyson scoffs. “Does that look like the omelet I generally make you?”  
Nate shrugs. “I don’t really know the difference.”  
Ty chuckles. “Of course you don’t. This is for my mom.”  
“Do you want some help? That’s a lot of omelets to make.”  
Tyson laughs, really laughs for the first time in a while. “You’d probably burn the place down.”  
Nate beams. “Yeah. I probably would.”  
“Go sit down,” Ty chuckles.  
“Only if you make mine next.”  
“Deal. Go.” Tyson pushes his elbows back to detach Nate from him. Nate goes, but not before snagging a handful of strawberries that Len is cutting.  
“Hey!” he exclaims.  
Ty laughs without looking up. “He does that.”  
Nate sits down with Victoria and offers her half his spoils.  
“You’re a better brother than he ever was,” she teases. Nate smiles. He likes this feeling of family, even though he’s only met these people about twelve hours ago, maybe less. He glances at Kristie, who’s smiling proudly. Here, he feels safe. He forgets about Len’s weirdness, writing it off as being an old hockey player. If he loves his son as much as he says, he’ll accept it eventually.   
Breakfast from there out is a fun affair. There’s friendly teasing, and the food is beyond compare. Nate will never give up how Tyson is a marvelous cook. They hang out, Nate lounging on Tyson while Victoria leans against the couch from the floor. They watch Christmas movies and exchange stories. Victoria forces Ty to take a picture with their mother, but Tyson ends up posting it to Instagram.   
Nate and Ty go to bed excited for Christmas the next day. Ty is a little nervous though.  
“Ty, it’ll be fine. Naomi already knows. Your parents support you. Victoria supports you. I’m here. I’ll always be here.” Nate wraps Ty up in a hug, pulling the comforter up as far as he can to cocoon them. He kisses Ty’s forehead gently and reassuringly.   
Ty rests his forehead on Nate’s. “It just… it just feels weird.”  
“It’s going to,” Nate says. “It’s never not going to feel weird. But, here’s the thing. You are no different now than you were before. That’s what you’ve got to believe.”  
Tyson sighs. “I guess.”  
“No. That’s what you have to believe whole heartedly. You are no different. None at all. That’s how I learned to accept it. I’m not different in any way, if anything I am more myself than I ever was before. And, if they need to learn to accept that. You are you. They are your family, and they should support you for that.”  
Ty grins. “When did you get so wise?”  
“When I realized who I am.” It was maybe a more serious answer than Tyson was looking for, but it’s the truth. Once he stopped hiding from who he was, he’s felt much more confident and sure of everything.   
Christmas is a good day. Naomi comes with her husband and apparently four children. Two little girls hide behind their mom’s legs as Jack and Alex excitedly say “hi” to Nate.   
“Who are your sister’s?” Nate asks the boys.  
“That’s Sara, and that’s Maddy,” Jack says point at each of the girls respectively.   
“Hi!” Nate says waving at the girls.   
They wave back shyly.  
“Go say hi,” Naomi says, pushing them forward.   
The girls stumble forward, trying to decide if it’s worth it.  
“Hi, Sara. Hi, Maddy. How are you girls today?”  
“Good,” Maddy says.   
“You excited to open presents?” The girls nod.   
“We already opened Santa’s presents. Mommy said we could,” Sara says.   
“Did Santa bring you lots of toys?” Nate asks.  
Both girls nod excitedly. “Lots of candy too.”  
Nate smiles, unable not to around the beautiful girls.  
“He brought us lots of toys too,” Alex says, coming up to Nate.  
“Yeah, lots of hockey gear!” Jack says.  
“Wow. Sounds like it’s been a wonderful Christmas already for you guys!”  
They all nod.   
From there, the adults get the table set for dinner. The already huge pile of presents under the tree has now turned massive. The children run around, full of excitement from Christmas. Nate sits with Tyson on the couch, cuddling close together. No one says anything. No one comments, not even Tyson uncle who hadn’t known Nate before.   
“I love you,” Nate whispers to Ty.  
Ty hums, nosing Nate’s hair.   
“Ew. Come on, you two. Dinner’s almost ready.” Victoria ruffles Nate’s hair, then Tyson’s.  
They both groan, swatting at her.  
“Come on hockey boys!”  
They slowly stand, finding their place at the table. Victoria is sitting next to Tyson. On Nate’s other side is Kristie.   
Len says a quick prayer before they dig in to the huge feast laid out before them. Nate keeps stealing food off of Ty’s plate. Victoria is giving them smirks while Tyson glares at Nate every time he grabs a little more food. Between bites, they talk about their season, things they’ve been up to off the ice, filling the family in.   
Nate swipes a roll off Ty’s plate.  
“Will you quit it?” Ty exclaims.   
Nate giggles.   
“Seriously,” Ty groans.  
Nate smiles and places a small, chaste kiss on Ty’s lips. “You love me.”  
Ty sighs, but doesn’t say anything. The whole table has gone silent. Everyone is smiling, though, which Nate takes as a good thing.   
The children at their own table are making face at each other and giggling amongst themselves.  
“You two are so cute. I’m glad you were able to tell us,” Naomi says taking another bite of food.  
Nate smiles at her. “Thanks. It means a lot for all of the support we’ve been getting.”  
Kristie beams at them.  
Nate feels Ty searching for his hand under the table. He laces their fingers together, smiling so hard it hurts.  
Presents comes after dinner. Tyson and Nate settle in to an armchair that is nowhere near big enough for both of them. Victoria plays Santa, handing out presents to everyone. Tyson and Nate get all kinds of presents from Naomi and Victoria, who were in the loop before Christmas. Nate gets a small gift from Len and Kristie, not knowing their son’s boyfriend was visiting. The kids are enraptured with the toys they got from Ty and his parents.   
“Movie?” Victoria suggests, after all the presents are opened.  
“Yes!” the kids exclaim.  
“How about The Polar Express?”  
They nod excitedly.   
“I also hear there’s dessert,” Ty says, helping Nate out of the chair. Nate rolls his eyes affectionately. Ty is always tuned into the dessert.  
Naomi laughs. “Glad to see that hasn’t changed. There’s pie and cookies on the counter, boys.”  
The smile to each other, and run to get some before settling down for the movie. The kids have already claimed the couch so Nate and Ty lean against the front of the couch. Victoria cuddles up next to them, her own dessert in hand. Nate loves this movie. It’s his favorite Christmas movie. Ty leans his head on Nate’s shoulder, once he’s finished his pie. It’s all too easy for Nate to wrap his arm around Ty’s shoulders. It feels so natural, so right. Being here is like something out of a dream, a beautiful and wonderful dream.   
The kids and Tyson are asleep by the time the movies finished. They say their good-byes to family, Nate still on the floor with a sleepy Tyson.   
“Good night kids,” Kristie yawns, Len’s arm around her waist.  
“You need a haircut,” Victoria whispers once they’ve gone to bed.  
“What?” Nate asks.  
“Your hair is nasty, boy.”   
“What are you talking about?” Nate whispers, very offended. He loves his long locks.  
“It’s nasty. I’m taking you to get a haircut tomorrow. I know a place that’ll do it really well. You’ll look great.”  
“Listen to her, Nate,” Ty yawns adjusting on his side.  
Nate sighs and concedes. “Fine, I’ll go.”  
Victoria smiles. “Great!” With that she skips off to bed.   
“Ready for bed?” Nate asks.  
Tyson murmurs his accent. Nate helps him up and too bed.  
“Long day for the big hockey player?” Nate asks, helping Ty undress.  
“You’re bigger than me,” Ty mumbles.   
Nate chuckles. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s get to bed.” He pulls Tyson down onto the bed heavily. They situate themselves, like always, finding the perfect places to lay together and touch. Nate falls asleep with Tyson curled gently in his arms and nothing could make him happier.   
“Hey, get up.” Victoria pokes Nate’s shoulder.  
Nate groans and rolls over, into Tyson’s chest.  
“Come on man! We have to get in early before the rush.”  
“What are you talking about?” Nate mumbles into Ty.  
“Your haircut!”  
Nate groans again, but rolls to get out of bed. “Get out. Let me dress.”  
Victoria squeals and runs out. Nate yawns and stretches. He gets dressed quickly, and kisses Tyson’s forehead before leaving.   
“Ready?” Victoria asks.  
Nate nods, and they head off together.  
Victoria takes him to a little shop in the downtown area. The guy’s name is Greg. He seems like a cool guy. “I know exactly what you need,” he says, when Nate tells him he’s just looking for a new look.  
Victoria wiggles her eyebrows at him as he sits down to let this man cut his hair.   
“So, how do you know Victoria?” Greg asks, sizing Nate up in the mirror.   
“Um… friend of her brothers.”  
“Oh!” Greg says with surprise. He sprays down Nate’s hair with water. “You know the hockey player huh?”  
Nate chuckles. “Yeah. I’m kind of his teammate.”  
“No way dude! You any good.”  
“Uh, yeah.”  
“Good for you, making the big bucks.” Greg starts snipping away Nate’s hair. He watches it fall away from his head in the mirror. “Now, between you and me, are you just a friend of Ty’s or are you something more.”  
Nate swallows not sure out to answer.  
“I’ve been friends with Victoria for years. Help her out with all her guy issues. No one knows ‘em better than the gays,” Greg says, stilling cutting away.   
Nate let’s out a sigh of relief. “Yeah, we’re something more.”  
“Well, good for you guys. I always guessed he was one of us when we were growing up. He never seemed interested in girls and stared way too much in locker rooms.”  
Nate chuckles. He can almost picture a young Tyson taking too long glances in locker rooms, not even really knowing why he was.  
“So, he came out to his folks?” Greg asks. He reaches for a razor on the table.   
Nate gulps, a little scared for more hair to go. “Uh, yeah. I was here for moral support.”  
“We always need more of that in our lives,” Greg mutters.  
“Ain’t that the truth.”  
The razors starts up and shaves close on the lower side of his head. He cuts the rest of the hair short, but not too drastic. It actually looks really good when Greg’s finished.  
“What do you think?” he asks.  
“I love it,” Nate says, the surprise obvious in his voice. He runs his hands over it. It feels good. It’s still fairly long at the top and the close buzz along the bottom is fuzzy.   
“Awesome.” Greg leads him to the counter to pay.   
“Tyson is gonna love this on you,” Victoria whispers in his ear.  
Nate blushes and hands the money over to Greg.   
“Good luck this season,” he says. “I’ll be rooting for you.”  
Nate grins. “Thanks.”  
Victoria waves and they leave as someone new walks in to take Nate’s place. “You really like it?” she asks as they climb in the car.  
Nate nods. “It looks really good.”  
Victoria smiles. “Told ya so.”  
Nate sighs and rolls his eyes. “Can we pick up breakfast?”  
“Make sure Ty isn’t up and making food already.”  
Nate calls but gets voicemail. “We’re good.”  
Victoria nods. “There’s this really good pastry place just around the corner. They make other breakfast stuff too. It’s kinda like a family to get food from here everyone and a while, even with Ty and mom’s cooking skills.”  
“Sweet.”  
She pulls up to a small shop and parks. Smells assault Nate as they walk inside. He can smell the cooking pastries and donuts. He smells sausage and bacon. There’s egg cooking and biscuits and so much else he can’t place. Victoria is already ordering, cruising like she knows what everyone wants. “What do you want?” she asks Nate, as if on cue.   
“Uh… a chocolate glaze doughnut and whatever you got Ty.”   
Victoria nods and orders for him. The woman behind the counter hands her a few cups. Victoria nods to a table. They sit and she hands him a cup of coffee. Nate inhales the scent and takes a sip. “That’s amazing.”  
Victoria smiles. “Best coffee in all of Victoria.”  
Nate splutters. “That’s so weird.”  
“What? That I’m basically named after the town?”  
Nate nods, laughing. Victoria laughs with him.   
“They didn’t mean too. They moved here after I was born.”  
Nate nods. “Len played hockey. I know.”  
Their order is called. Nate helps carry the food to the car. He almost drops it though, when his phone goes off. He picks it up when they’re in the car.   
“Hey Ty,” he says, after seeing the name on his screen.  
“Why’d ya call me? Where are you?” Ty’s voice is still laced with sleep. It sounds like he just woke up enough to roll over and look at his phone.  
“Victoria took me to get my haircut, remember?”  
Ty mumbles into the phone.   
“We got breakfast. Don’t make anything.”  
“Roger that.” Tyson yawns. “Come home soon. I miss you.”  
“I’ll be there soon, promise.”  
Tyson hums and hangs up. There’s a high likelihood that he will fall back asleep by the time they get home.   
Nate is correct. Kristie and Len are up, but Ty is still sleeping the day away. Len helps them unload food and gets it onto the table while Nate goes to wake Ty up. He’s lying in bed, wrapped in the comforter and curled around the pillow Nate slept on.  
“Hey, babe.” Nate gently shakes Ty’s shoulder. Ty rolls over and yawns. Nate smiles as he slowly wakes up.  
“Your hair,” he murmurs.   
“You like it?”  
Ty nods.   
“Get up, we’ve got breakfast.”  
Tyson yawns again, but uses Nate to stand. Once he’s dressed, they go out to find the breakfast laid out for them on the table.   
“Oh my god! You guys went to Patty’s!” Tyson says with as much enthusiasm as he can muster in the morning.   
Nate nods and sits down next to Ty. They scarf down the crazy amount of food that Victoria brought home. All kinds of breakfast sandwiches and sausage and bacon and pancakes and doughnuts and pastries.   
“You boys leaving tomorrow?” Len asks between bites.   
Nate nods. “Gotta be back for practice.”  
“That means we have all day to go sledding!” Victoria exclaims.  
“Sledding?” Nate asks, skeptically.   
Tyson nods. “There’s a really nice sledding hill just out of town.”  
“It’s tradition.” Victoria points a fork at him.  
“That’s gross,” Nate whines, making a face. There’s food still on the end, half eaten.  
“Seriously, Vic?” Kristie asks. “Nate’s right. That’s really gross.”  
Victoria pays them no mind. She just keeps shaking the fork at Nate. “You don’t want to ruin tradition, do you?”   
“I never said I did.” Nate throws his hands in the air in submission. “Jesus.”  
Victoria smiles. “It’ll be fun.”  
“I believe you,” Nate says, inching back toward Ty.  
Ty is chuckling into his fist. “Fast friends, huh?”  
“Oh shut up.” Nate slaps Ty’s chest, who protests wildly.  
After breakfast, they clean up and get changed to go sledding. Victoria drives them, while Nate and Ty cuddle in the back. The car hasn’t quite warmed up, so Nate can say it’s to keep warm, but when does he ever need a reason to cuddle Tyson?   
It’s a quick drive to the far side of town. The slope is covered in a fresh powder. Families are already here, probably on new sleds received yesterday.   
“Ready boys?” Victoria asks.  
“We’re going to beat you!” Tyson races out of the car to grab a sled. Victoria and Nate aren’t far behind.   
The race up the hill, laughing and tripping over their own feet. They set their sleds for the race down. “1… 2…3!” Nate yells, rocketing down the hill. The hill is huge, by the way. It’s massively steep with a long flat plain after. Tyson and Nate go the farthest, swooping out past Victoria.   
After that they take turns riding together, or pushing or wrestling. Snow gets into their clothes and they are laughing and soaked by the time the sun is dipping below the horizon.  
“When did it get so late?” Victoria asks, collapsing on top of the hill.  
“Who knows,” Nate mumbles. He’s exhausted. He’s loved this trip. He got to me Tyson’s family. Tyson took a huge step for him. Nate has never been more in love.  
He crawls over to Tyson and lays on top of him.   
“Ooph!” Ty huffs.   
“I love you.” Nate kisses Ty firmly.   
Tyson giggles and pulls away. “I love you too.”  
“Okay, we get it. You two are adorable. Now can we go home and warm up?”  
Nate and Ty nod, scrambling to get up. Nothing sounds better at the moment. Hot chocolate and chili await them. They thank Len and Kristie and sit down in front of the TV.  
“One more Christmas movie?” Victoria asks.  
“Jim Carrey’s the Grinch,” Nate replies.  
Victoria nods. “You got it.” They sit in sweats and pajamas and eat their warming food to the movie. Nate and Ty end up falling asleep on each other. Victoria gently wakes them when the movie is over so they can sleep in a proper bed before they leave the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed that Christmas fluff! I am on Tumblr at hockeymylovemylife. Feel free to talk to me or give me prompts or the like! Love to hear from you lovely people!


	11. Chapter Eleven

The NHL All-Star break is just around the corner, when they get back to Denver. Nate is laying on Ty’s couch, head hanging off the edge, on an off day, while Ty makes food. “Florida?” he asks, staring at his phone.  
“What?” Tyson asks. “Please give me an actual question.”  
Nate swings so he sitting up at looking at Ty. “You did the same thing, dipshit!”  
“Huh?”  
Nate grumbles. “Anyway, do you want to go to Florida over the break?”  
“Florida? Again?” Ty stirs whatever’s in his pot on the stove.  
“Yeah. It’ll be fun. It’s warm.”  
“Does it have anything to do with Jo?” Ty asks.  
Nate rolls his eyes. “Maybe. But, he knows and it’d be nice to hang out with him again. He was my best friend for years, Ty.”  
Tyson smiles. “I know. I did invite him to you party.”  
Nate smiles. “Right. So, you down?”  
Ty smiles. “I’m always down to go somewhere with you. You know that.”  
Nate smiles even bigger. “Great. I’ll get tickets.”  
Three weeks of play, good and bad, and they’re off to Florida. Nothing feels better than to sit next to Tyson on a plane knowing that they’ve got a whole week to be together.   
Jo is waiting for them by baggage claim when they get to Florida.   
“Hey dude!” Nate says, bro hugging Jo.  
“Been a while dude.” Jo holds his friend out at arm’s length. “Nice hair.”  
“Thanks.”  
They collect Nate and Ty’s things and head out.  
“Which hotel?” Jo asks, glancing in the rearview mirror.   
Tyson reads the address of his phone.  
“Ooh, living fancy this week, eh?” Jo laughs.   
“You got the training all set up, yeah?” Nate asks.  
“Of course. A bunch of us Lightning guys are training down here this week.”  
Nate grins. “Awesome.”  
“Do you wanna hit the beach with us?” Tyson asks, when they get to the hotel.  
“Really?” Jo asks.   
“Yeah. Come on bro. We’re here to hang out with you,” Nate says, giving a side hug to Jo.  
Jo laughs. “Yeah. That’s really the reason you’re here.”  
Nate blushes. “Well, part of it.”  
Jo smirks. “Uh-huh. Let me go get my suit from my hotel and I’ll meet you out behind this monster,” he says motioning to the hotel.  
“Sounds good,” Nate says. “And hey Jo?”  
Jo raises his eyebrows before he gets into the car.  
“It really is good to see you again.”  
Jo smiles. “Same bro. See ya in a bit.”  
Nate waves as Jo drives away then walks with Tyson into the hotel. Their room is a beautiful suite overlooking the ocean.   
“What do you think?” Nate asks.  
“You did a good job,” Tyson says. He sets his bags down. “I’m really impressed.” He pulls Nate in by his shirt for a kiss. Nate kisses back, caressing the back of Tyson’s head. Ty gets his fingers into Nate’s hair and pulls away. “I really do like your new haircut.”  
Nate blushes. “Good.” He looks out the window. “We should get changed so we can to the beach.”  
Tyson nods. “Can I watch you change?”  
It makes Nate blush even further, but he nods and goes over to his suitcase. He takes a deep breath and puts on a show for Tyson. He carefully, slowly strips his shirt over his head. He wriggles out of his pants, making sure to grab his cheeks every once and while. He can feel Tyson’s eyes on him, burning holes into his back. He slowly slips his boxers below the bulge of his ass. He waits a moment, grabbing his cheeks, listening to Tyson breathe before taking them all the way off. He doesn’t turn around to face Tyson, but quickly gets his swimsuit out and slides it on, slowly over his ass. Tyson is pressed against him in a moment, breathing hot against Nate’s neck.  
“Babe, that was so hot. I want to take you right here, right now.”  
Nate swallows, trying to compose himself even when he can feel Tyson’s arousal pushing against his ass. “We… we’re meeting Jo on the beach.”   
Tyson sighs. “Fine, then you better take care of this,” he says thrusting his hips forward. “I don’t think this is something you want your friend to see.”  
Nate’s breathing accelerates. “O… okay.” He turns around and sinks to his knees. Tyson is looking down at him fondly. Nate blinks and focuses on the task at hand. This is a problem, because he always gets hard when he’s blowing Ty. He unzips Ty’s trousers and takes his hard dick out. It doesn’t take much longer after that for Nate to get it in his mouth. Tyson’s hands immediately find their way to Nate’s hair, pulling just enough. Nate mouths at the head, keeping his hands of Tyson’s hips to keep him from thrusting. Slowly, he works his way down the shaft, licking the underside and sucking tightly. He wrenches the moans out of Tyson, loving the sound of them. He bobs his head, taking as much as he can without choking. Seconds later, Tyson is coming down his throat. He stays down to get it all, so all evidence is gone when Jo gets back.  
“Holy shit, Nate.”   
Nate smiles, palming himself through the swimsuit. “You’re turn.”  
Tyson eyes for a minute before sliding to his knees. Nate sucks in a breath. This will be the first time Tyson has ever put Nate’s dick in his mouth. It makes Nate’s dick jerk at the sight of Tyson down on his knees for him. Tyson pulls down Nate’s trunks and stares at his dick.   
“You don’t have to,” Nate says after a moment.  
Tyson looks up at him, eyes as wide as saucers. “I want to.” With that, he licks a strip down the shaft and back up. He kisses the head and mouths at it. Nate’s breath and he has to rest his hands on Tyson’s head. Tyson wraps a hand around the base and places one gently on Nate’s hip. He stares for a moment longer before take the tip into his mouth. Nate throws his head back and moans. It may not be as tight as he likes or anywhere near perfect, but it’s hot and it’s Tyson. Anything Tyson does is going to make Nate feel good.   
“Oh, yes, babe. Just like that.”  
Tyson takes a little more into his mouth at the sound of Nate’s voice.   
“Suck a little tighter babe,” Nate says, gripping Ty’s hair. He moans as Tyson does what he says. “Yes!” Just like that, Tyson rips an orgasm from him. He coming into Tyson’s mouth without warning, but he sucks it all out of him and swallows.   
Nate’s legs shake and he collapses on the bed behind him.   
“Was that… was that good?” Tyson asks, standing up. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.  
Nate is breathing hard, but manages to nod his head. Tyson tucks himself back in and does the same for him. “Get changed,” Nate pants.  
“Was it really that good?” Ty asks, moving over to his suitcase.   
“Holy shit, Ty, yes!” Nate sits up and puts his head in his hands. “I’m not sure I’m going to be able to think around Jo today.”  
Ty chuckles. “We should both probably brush our teeth.”  
Nate nods. “Good idea.” He rummages through his bag to find his toiletries. Jo texts him a few minutes later, while Tyson is brushing his teeth.   
Just parked. See ya in a bit bud ;)   
“He’s here!” Nate calls into the bathroom. They go down together, towels under their arms, and find Jo scouting a spot. He waves them over.  
“Hey, lovebirds.”  
“Shut it,” Nate says blushing.   
Jo chuckles and lays down on his towel. “Put sunscreen on my back?” he asks.  
Nate rolls his eyes. “Give me a sec.” He and Ty set up before Nate squeezes cold lotion onto Jo’s back. He squirms while Nate rubs it in. “Chill out dude.” He taps Jo’s back and stands up.   
Ty captures Nate’s wrist and pulls him over so he can massage sunscreen into Nate’s back. Nate leans his head back against Ty’s shoulder and smiles up it him. Ty doesn’t do much more than smile back at him. They’re in public now. Tyson turns when he’s done so Nate can do him. (Well not actually, but you get the point.)   
They lay down and soak up sun for a bit. Nate gets restless after a while. He pokes Tyson, who’s fallen asleep. “Can we go in the water?”  
Ty sighs and sits up. He rolls his shoulders, testing the heat. “Yeah, sure.” Jo is sound asleep next to them, as the run down the beach. Nate dives into a wave, head first. Tyson comes in a little slower. They splash each other back and forth for a while. Nate jumps at Ty and tries to dunk him. Ty wraps his arms around Nate and holds on. They both go under and Ty gives him a quick peck on the lips before they come up. Nate piggybacks on Tyson for a while, hugging his hard, hot skin, loving that he can, because, in public eye, they are best friends. This is totally acceptable best friend behavior. That is until Tyson sharply jerks him off. He falls into the water, and comes back out giving Tyson an annoyed face.  
“Tyson! Nate!” The both look up and pose for Jo who takes pictures of them in the water. Jo sends them to Ty, and one ends up on his Instagram with the caption “Trying to get this (ghost emoji) @mackinnon29 a little color… (sun emoji and palm tree emoji).” Jo joins them after his photo opp is done, splashing Nate right in the face. They fall into another all-out splash war.   
They return to the shore, exhausted and laughing. They sit on their respective towels, laughing and happy.  
“Dude, I’ve missed you,” Nate says.   
Jo smirks. “I’m sure bud. Haven’t heard from you, like, ever.”  
Nate laughs. “Sid told me I need to call you. Sorry, man.”  
Jo groans and throws his head back. “Jesus. It’s bad if the old man has to tell you to call me.”  
“It’s a two-way street, ya know!” Nate exclaims.   
Jo chuckles. “I know. I’m just givin’ ya shit. How have you been?” He lays back on his towel, pillowing his head with an arm.  
“Been good. Better with this one.” He points his thumb at Tyson, who has already fallen asleep again.  
“Heard you went with him over Christmas.”  
Nate nods. “It was good. He came out to his family. It was a big step for him.”   
Jo nods. “I’m sure.”  
“What about you, man?”  
“Same old, same old. I did come out to the team though.”  
“Really?” Nate asks. He’s not really that surprised. Jo was always more open than he was.  
Jo nods. “They took it well. Do you know what they asked when I first told them?”  
“No, what?”  
“They asked if we banged in junior.” Jo laughs as he says it.  
Nate laughs with him. “What did you tell them.”  
Jo shrugs. “I told them the truth. I hope that’s okay.”  
Nate nods. “Of course. I guess my sexuality isn’t going to be a secret from the rest of the league.”   
Jo laughs. “Yeah, probably not.” He sighs before he continues. “I don’t really know if I’m ready to go public, but I’ve been thinking about it, ya know?”  
Nate coughs. “Um… no I don’t. I’m barely out to the team. Ty’s not out to them yet. I haven’t even thought about going public.”  
Jo nods, thinking. “It’s just, a big jump is all. Like everyone will be looking at me, if I do it. It’s a big jump for me and for the league, ya know?”  
Nate nods, because that he does know. “You do it if you feel comfortable enough.”  
“I might. I’m not really sure though.”  
“Yeah, for sure.” Nate leans back. He’s not sure he could even come out publicly at this point. Obviously, he wants to protect Ty, so it’s kind of out of the question. But, if Ty was out of the picture, Nate’s not sure he’d be okay doing that. It’s a lot of pressure, almost too much pressure. It’s a lot of eyes on one person. There will be judgement and hate and threats. Nate’s not sure he’d be able to deal with it all.   
Ty shifts next to him. “It’s kinda getting late. We need to start thinking about dinner.”  
Nate nods. “Alright.”  
“See ya at training tomorrow?” Nate asks Jo, who doesn’t look like he’s ready to move yet.  
Jo nods. “See ya, lovebirds.”  
“Will you quit?” Nate asks.  
Jo shakes his head. “No never.”  
Nate rolls his eyes and follows Ty up to their room.  
“Do you got a big dinner planned?” Ty asks, slipping into the bathroom to shower.  
“No,” Nate says, coming after him. “We can do that on our last day here. Tonight we are ordering room service and fucking each other’s brains out.” Nate wiggles out of his swimming trunks and pushes Tyson up against the glass of the shower. He kisses Tyson deep, licking in and nipping his lips.  
When he pulls away, Tyson is panting. “If this is supposed to be shower sex, we should probably get in the shower.”  
Nate laughs and leans his forehead against Ty’s. “Alright, yeah.” Ty turns around in Nate’s arms to turn on the water. Together, they get into the shower, kissing as soon as they’re under the spray. Nate pushes Ty up against the wall, practically mauling his mouth. He can feel Tyson hardening against his thigh. He pushes against it, loving the friction of them rubbing together. He kisses down Ty’s neck. Ty moans when he sucks a bruise into his neck.  
“Yeah. Nate, oh fuck!” Ty thrusts against Nate, trying to get friction on his dick. Nate reaches down and starts stroking both of them together in his hand. He latches onto on of Ty’s nipples and starts sucking. Ty moans and arches up into it.   
“Nate, Nate,” he pants.  
Nate straightens, kissing his quickly, keeping his pace on the dicks. “What do you need, babe?”  
“Kiss me, oh fuck kiss me.”  
Nate obliges, kissing his harshly. They move against one another, pleasure wafting through their bodies as Nate draws them both closer to orgasm.   
“Oh shit, Nate,” Ty pants into Nate’s mouth.  
Nate jerks them harder, head on Ty’s shoulder. He can feel how close he is, and by the sounds Tyson is making, he is too.   
Not two strokes later, Nate gasps, stripping himself and Ty with come. That’s all it takes to send Tyson over the edge, squirting into Nate’s hand and onto his chest. They stay there, panting, coming back to reality together. The water slowly washes the come off their bodies as Nate smiles down at Tyson. God, he doesn’t know how he could feel so strongly for someone.   
They slowly wash each other, smiling at one another unable to help themselves. Nate scrubs shampoo through Tyson’s curls, loving the way he tips his head back into Nate’s hands.   
They eventually stumble out of the shower, kissing. The fall onto the bed, never once leaving the touch of one another. Nate pushes Tyson into the mattress by his shoulders. Ty smiles up at him.  
“Fuck me?” he asks.  
Nate’s breath stutters. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get tired of hearing that. “Fuck yeah. Of course.” He kisses Ty, licking deep into his mouth. He kisses his way down Ty’s chest, paying special attention to his nipples. Nate can’t get enough of the way Ty arches into Nate’s mouth. He whines at the way Nate swirls his tongue around the bud. He nips at it a little with his teeth. Ty gasps.   
“Fuck. Oh Nate, fuck. Please!” he whines.  
Nate smiles around the nipple. He gives it one more lick before moving down Tyson’s chest. He sucks a deep bruise just below Ty’s peck. He has Ty writhing and squirming beneath him.   
“You like that, baby?”   
Ty nods, unable to produce any words. Nate kisses the flat skin just above where Tyson’s dick is hard and jutting out.  
“What about that?”  
Ty whines, pushing his hips up.   
“You want more?” Nate asks.  
Tyson nods. “Please! Nate come on!”  
Nate doesn’t have to be asked twice. He sinks down onto Tyson’s dick, sucking tightly. Tyson moans, arching into Nate’s mouth. Nate keeps the suction tight, the way he knows Tyson likes it. He licks along the bottom, playing with the slit. Tyson whines. Nate pops off licking his lips. He gives Ty a look before reaching for the lube. He sees Tyson’s eyes go wide, but he doesn’t finger Tyson. He reaches around himself and begins to work two fingers into himself. He lets out a punched out moan, and Tyson’s eyes get even wider. Nate quickly opens himself and then lubes up Tyson’s dick.  
“I’m going to ride you. How does that sound?”   
Tyson nods whining, beyond any words at this point. Nate straddles Tyson and guides himself down onto Ty’s dick. Tyson moans, but doesn’t push up. He lets Nate do what he needs to get down. Finally, Nate sinks all the way down, resting on Ty’s hips. Ty groans, trying to rock deeper into Nate. Nate presses on Ty’s chest to keep him down. He starts to ride Ty, pretty slow at first. Ty grabs onto Nate’s ass trying to encourage him to go faster. Nate obliges. He pumps faster, really starting to feel the burn in his thighs keeping him up.  
“How’s that, babe?” Nate asks.  
Ty pants, trying to get words out. “Nate, oh, fuck, Nate.”  
He gets a hand around himself, pumping to the rhythm he’s set for Ty. A second later, Ty bats his hand away and takes Nate’s dick himself. Then, all Nate can feel is Tyson. He’s on his dick, deep inside him and another hand on his ass. Nothing feels better than this. Nothing feels better than being with the one person he loves most in this world.  
And just like that, he’s coming all over Ty’s chest, pumping up and down on Ty’s dick, about to pass out from exhaustion. Ty senses it and flips them, completely encompassing Nate. He pounds into Nate, once, twice, and he’s coming. He coming deep inside Nate. The realization that they forgot a condom hits them at the same moment, but Nate feels good to care. He loves the heat of Tyson in him. He loves that it feels even better without a condom.  
Tyson collapses, trying to fall next to Nate and failing. He’s still just slightly inside Nate, and he really doesn’t want to pull all the way out just yet.   
“Nate?” he asks, brushing Nate’s hair out of his eyes.  
Nate hums happily in response.   
“How do you feel about no condom?”  
Nate hums noncommittally. “You haven’t been with anyone else have you?”  
Ty shakes his head. Obviously he hasn’t. He only wants Nate.  
“Then, it’s not a problem.”  
Ty smiles and lays back down. “Shower or round two?” Ty asks after a while.  
“Round two, but you’ll have to do all the work,” Nate says dopily.  
Ty smiles and rolls his eyes. He slides down and takes Nate’s dick into his mouth. Nate moans and his hips jerk. Tyson puts his arm across Nate’s hips to keep him still. He still only gave his first blow job only a few hours ago. With Nate still running off his previous orgasm, Ty gets to work on his skill. He figures out what to do with his tongue and to keep his teeth hidden as much as possible. He keeps his free hand at the base of Nate’s dick, pumping to the rhythm. It isn’t long before Nate is writhing above him. He tugs at Ty’s hair to let him know he’s about to come. Tyson sinks down like he did earlier that afternoon and swallows every drop. He pulls off and Nate is obsessed with the way Nate’s lips are swollen and his eyes half lidded. He pumping his own dick and quickly comes on Nate. They collapse together again. Nate’s sure they slept, but Ty is incessant that they didn’t.  
“We need to shower,” Ty moans, flipping onto his back.   
“We need to order food,” Nate says with the same sentiment.   
“I’ll shower first. You order food. We’ll switch and I’ll let the room service guy in.”  
Nate nods. “Sounds good. What do you want?”  
“You know me as well as I know myself. You’ll know what I want.”  
Nate sighs, but enjoys the view as Ty walks to shower. He fishes the room service menu out of the bedside table. There’s an array of items on the menu, but Nate does know what Ty wants. He dials the room service number and orders the steak with a loaded baked potatoes and a green salad. He gets a bowl of fruit and an extra potato. He and Ty can share. He also orders the fanciest wine on the list and hopes it’s too Ty’s standards. That’s one thing he’s not quite sure about.   
Tyson comes out of the shower wrapped in a towel and drying his hair. Nate stares at his chest still slightly dripping with water.   
“You’re turn, you nasty,” Ty jokes. He hits Nate’s ass as he walks to the bathroom. Nate shoots him a look, but giggles to himself in the bathroom. He is definitely sticky. It feels nice to wash it away and the sweat from his body. When he gets out of the shower, wrapped in a towel, Tyson is sitting on the bed with a huge tray of food in front of him.  
“Look good,” Nate asks, sitting down next to him.  
Ty nods. “You did a good job with the wine.”  
Nate chuckles and leans his head into Ty’s shoulder. “I just ordered the one that looked that fanciest.”  
Ty laughs. Nate loves his laugh. “Of course that’s what you did. Why only one steak?”  
Nate shrugs. “I figured we could share.”   
Ty smiles. He takes a strawberry and puts it to Nate lips. “Is this what you were thinking when you ordered this?” he whispers into Nate’s ear.   
Nate gulps, nods, and takes a bite. Ty licks the juice of Nate’s chin as it drips down. They last two more seconds with straight faces before breaking into laughter. Nate falls into Ty’s lap, helplessly.   
“Wow was that good.”  
They eat happily next to one another, Nate constantly stealing food off Ty’s plate.  
“That’s my food,” Ty complains.  
“But, it’s on one plate. We’re sharing,” Nate says. He grabs another bite of steak that Ty jut cut.  
“Seriously man?” Ty asks.   
“Round three?” Nate asks, placing the tray by the door.  
Ty considers. “Would it be round three or round four?”  
Nate shrugs. “Does it matter?” He bounds onto Ty’s lap and starts kissing him again. It doesn’t take long for them to get off and fall asleep in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! You can find me on Tumblr at hockeymylovemylife! Comments are always appreciated!


	12. Chapter Twelve

The next morning, they get up for training. This is almost normal: getting ready side by side. But this time they’re in a fancy hotel room and going to train with guys from the Lightning and the Panthers. Jo texts Nate that he’s outside and waiting. Nate gives Ty one last kiss before they head out.  
Nate sits shotgun so he can talk with Jo a little easier.   
“Are you prepared?” Jo asks slyly as he pulls out of the parking lot.  
“For what?” Nate asks.  
Jo chuckles. “Well, my team knows what we got up to in juniors. Are you ready for all that?”  
Ty groans in the backseat. Nate chuckles. “Sure. I’m sure it can’t be too bad.”  
Jo stifles as laugh. “You’ll see.”  
He pulls into a parking lot for what looks like it’ll be their training center for the next few days. Guys are already trickling in when Nate and Ty hop out of Jo’s car.   
Jo says hi to some of the guys as they’re walking in. Nate thinks he hear his name every once and while, but he doesn’t really know.   
In the gym, there are about six other guys. Jo introduces the three of them that are from the Lightning. “This is Cedric, Matthew, and Michael.” Nate recognizes them all from games against the Lightning. Matt is smirking like he knows something, and yeah, Nate thinks, he does. They probably all do.   
The Panthers introduce themselves as Nick, Greg, and Kyle. All forwards, Nate remembers. All the guys in the room are about the same age, which makes everything nice. They all just stand there for a while before Jo looks at Nate with a gleam in his eye. “Race ya to the end of the gym and back.” And he takes of running.  
“No fair,” Nate shouts after him, running to try to catch him. The rest of the boys run after them. Jo wins of course. He got an unfair head start. They catch their breath before going into some stretching.   
“So, Mac,” Matt asks. They switch stretches. “Did you and Jo really bang in juniors? He doesn’t seem good enough for you.”  
The other two Lightning laugh, along with Jo and Ty. The three Panthers look at a loss.   
Nate nods. “Unfortunately.”  
“Hey!” Jo shouts.  
Nate snickers. “Come on, man. It’s not like you were very good.”  
“It’s not like you were either,” Jo snipes.  
The three Lightning are just besides themselves with laughter.  
“Oh, I care to differ. I know the sounds you made in bed, and there’s no way I wasn’t good if you were making those kinds of sounds.”  
The Lightning ooh and laugh. Ty chuckles, glancing at Nate. Nate smiles and shrugs. It’s probably more than Ty wanted to know about Nate’s love life with Jo but oh well.  
“What are we missing?” Nick asks.  
“Jo and Nate actually banged in junior. They were like the grossest couple ever or something,” Michael says.   
Nick looks to Nate. Nate nods. “We’re gay, fairly openly apparently, because Jo decided it was a good idea to tell the whole team that we were fuck buddies.”  
“Oh, Nate, you wound me. We were way more than fuck buddies,” Jo says, putting emphasis on the way.   
The Lightning guys break out laughing again. “Man do I wish the other guys could be here to see this,” Cedric says wiping a tear from his eye.  
They finish their stretching and get to work. They don’t talk much while the work, except to encourage each other and yell directions.   
By the end of the day, Nate can barely catch his breath. He takes to long pulls from his water and sprays some onto his face. The others look in similar condition.   
“Wanna watch the games tonight at my place?” Jo asks.  
Nate looks to Tyson who nods. “Sure dude. The others gonna be there?”   
“Just my guys, I think,” Jo answers. “I’ll drive you guys back so you can change and shit. I’ll be by in a half hour? Forty-five minutes?”  
Nate nods. “Sounds good. See you boys tomorrow!” he calls as they leave.  
“See ya!” Greg calls back.   
The car smells awful when they all pile in so Jo lowers all the windows. The Florida air smells good and feels good. Jo drops them off and promises to be back soon.   
Nate calls first shower as he’s pushing through the door. Ty shakes his head, but goes to order room service. Nate’s glad he knows that he’s hungry. The shower feels amazing. He quickly washes so Tyson can get in. He’s changing when the room service gets there.  
“Leave it out there!” he calls. He wriggles into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Man, he loves Florida in the winter. A platter of snack food awaits him just outside his door. Gatorade, his favorite color too, sits on top next to a bottle of Tyson’s favorite. How did Nate get so lucky? He puts the tray on a table and munches off of it, interspersing with drinks of Gatorade.   
“How is it?” Ty asks, walking out of the bathroom. Nate doesn’t ever think he’ll get used to the view of Tyson’s bare chest.   
“You know me well,” he says. He kisses Tyson chastely.  
“I try.” Tyson drops the towel and gets dressed. Nate enjoys watching. Well, he really enjoys anything with Ty, especially naked. Nate turns on the TV when Ty is done. They eat snacks listening to the commentators of the All Star weekend. Nate rests his head on Ty’s shoulder. Even with the Lightning boys knowing he’s gay, doesn’t mean he gets to do this at Jo’s house. It’ll be all he wants to do, but he knows he can’t.   
Nate is actually sad when his phone pings with a text from Jo. “Ready?” he asks.  
Ty nods. They stand together and share one more kiss before walking out the door. Jo is idling by the curb, playing with his phone. He looks up when Nate and Tyson get in.   
“Well, look at you too.” Nate blushes and punches Jo’s shoulder. “Hey, hey.” He looks into the rearview mirror at Ty. “Your secret’s safe with me dude.”  
Ty smiles. “Thanks man.”  
“Of course.”  
The drive to Jo’s place is short. He admits he’s billeting with Stamkos, but he’s away for the All Star Weekend. Nate chirps him a little about it, as they’re walking in. Jo’s teammates are already settled, beers in hand. They call to Nate and Ty when they walk in. Nate grabs a beer and sits down next to Matt on the couch.   
“So, tell me,” he says.  
“Tell you what?” Nate asks.  
“All about you and Jo. The team’s been so curious since he came out.”  
“Why don’t you ask him?” Nate takes a swig of his beer.  
“He says it’s not his to tell.”  
Nate rolls his eyes. “He’s an idiot.”  
“So?” Matt prompts.  
“What the fuck do you want to know dude? Like we dated. We banged. We played hockey. What more is there to tell?”  
Matt shrugs. “Did the team know?”  
“Of course not!” Nate scoffs. “We didn’t even really know what we were doing at first.”  
“So it started as fuck buddies.”  
Nate makes a noncommittal gesture. “Probably. We didn’t know what we were feeling.”  
“Why didn’t you stay together?”  
“After the draft?”  
Matt nods.  
“He didn’t want to deal with long distance.”  
“It’s easier in the NHL than anywhere else, though. At least, I think so.” Matt drinks from his beer.  
Nate shrugs. “Wouldn’t know.”  
“Yeah. Yeah. You know if Jo is dating anyone?”  
Nate shakes his head. “Why?”  
Matt shrugs. “Nobody on the team knows. He never talks about it or brings anyone, man or woman, to events. It’s really confusing.”  
“Jo is really confusing,” Nate says, taking a swig from his beer.  
“Tell me about it,” Matt laughs.  
They turn to the TV to watch the games. Tyson sits down next to him after a while, smiling at Nick.  
“How are the games?” Ty asks.  
“Good.”  
“Rooting for Sid?” There’s a smirk on Ty’s face.  
Nate rolls his eyes. “Obviously.”  
“You know Crosby?” Cedric asks.  
Nate nods. “Grew up with him and Taylor.”  
“So, you guys are like tight?”  
Nate nods again. “Our families have Christmas together.” All the eyes on the Lightning players go wide.  
“Seriously? That’s some cool shit.”  
Nate just shrugs. “It’s nothing new when you grew up with him.”  
“Are his routines like, crazy or whatever they say.”  
Nate groans. “His superstitions you mean. They’re beyond crazy. Once, when I was in junior, Jo’ll remember this, I tried to call him on a day he had a game. I was upset over our own loss the night before. I got really upset with Sid for not answering me. I left a voicemail that said I was never speaking to him again. He called the next day and apologized in my voicemail. Kept calling, actually except on days he had a game, until I picked up. By then, Jo and I had both figured out the pattern.”  
Jo chuckles. “I remember that. I’d never seen you so upset. You’d thought because he was in the NHL he wasn’t going to talk to you ever again.”  
Nate laughs. “Yeah, but I got a nice couple of fucks out of it.”  
The other guys in the room groan. “More than we wanted to know, man.”  
Tyson’s ears, those big, adorable ears that sick out way to far, but at the same time are smushed down, turn bright red. Yeah, maybe Nate took it a little too far, but oh well.   
Just then, the announcers say Sid’s name and distract everyone.  
Nate looks over and Ty, who is still bright red. He flicks Ty’s ear to get his attention. “You okay, bud?”  
Nate watches Ty’s Adam’s apple bob, and he nods. “Fine.”  
“So sure about that are you?” He glances down at Tyson’s lap, where he’s failing at hiding his semi.  
Ty gives him a look. Nate files it away for later that night. Nate cheer when Sid scores in the shootout contest. He’s doing really well, like anything else was expected. It’s really hard to resist leaning on Ty’s shoulder. When he does lean, Ty lets him for a minute or two before pushing him upright again.  
As the night drags on, Nate gets drunker and drunker. Eventually he’s hanging off Tyson, laughing at every little thing.  
“Ready?” Tyson whispers in his ear.  
Nate gulps, then remembers where he is. He nods, trying to focus on the TV. It’s not working. Everything is spinning.  
“Jo, we should probably go.” Jo looks up at the sound of Ty’s voice and see Nate barely staying on his feet even with Tyson’s help.  
“Yeah, that looks like a good idea.” He turns to his teammates. “I’m gonna get these boys home. You should probably call an Uber or something. We’re still training tomorrow.”  
They groan, but seem to move to do as Jo says. Jo gets a shoulder under Nate’s arms to help Ty. They have carry, have drag Nate to the car. He’s babbling nonsense that this point, stroking Ty’s face and hair. He’s so pretty. Was he always this pretty? Nate thinks so, but he’s not really sure.  
“How’s he doing?” Jo asks.  
Nate looks up and they’re driving. His head is cradled in Ty’s lap. It feels like home. It feels good. He keeps his eyes closed though. All the moving lights and buildings are making him sick. Or maybe that’s the alcohol. Again, he’s not really sure.   
“Seems okay. How many beers did he have?”  
Jo shakes his head. “No clue, but by the looks of it, it was a lot.”  
Nate thinks about it. Was it six? Maybe seven. That sounds right. Maybe it was more. He can’t really remember. He just remembers he couldn’t touch Tyson the way he wanted to. Why was that? They were dating. Tyson loved him, right? He did know that, anyway. It didn’t hurt to check, though. “You love me, right Ty?”  
Tyson smiles down at him. He strokes his face. His hands feel cool, but they feel good. “Of course.” He presses a sweet kiss to Nate’s forehead that makes him smile. He buries his face against Tyson’s thigh.  
“Why couldn’t we touch? I just… I just wanted to… to touch you.”  
“You can touch me now,” Tyson says, stroking down Nate’s neck. So Nate does. He strokes Tyson’s face. He runs his hands down Tyson’s arms to feel the muscle there. He can see the blush on Tyson’s cheek whenever Jo drives by a street lamp. Is it alcohol? Maybe it’s the color of the street lamps. No. It’s mostly definitely flush on his cheek. It makes Nate smile. He loves when Tyson blushes. He always looks so cute. Especially when his ears turn pink. They get so adorable. All he wants to do is touch them.  
“I like your ears,” Nate whispers.  
“My ears?” Tyson laughs. That’s another thing Nate loves about him. His laugh is infectious. It makes everyone around him laugh.   
Nate nods. “They’re cute.” Tyson chuckles again, and Nate can hear Jo chuckling up where he’s driving.  
“We’re here,” Jo says quietly. Tyson helps Nate sit up. Jo drags him out of the car and supports him until Tyson hops out.  
“I’ve got him,” he tells Jo.  
“You sure?” Jo asks.  
Tyson nods.   
“Bye Jo!” Nate yells as they walk away.   
“Bye, man.”  
Together, they stumble to the elevator. Nate can’t really control his feet, so it’s mostly Ty that gets them there.  
“How did you get so drunk?” Tyson asks.   
“By drinking,” Nate says, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Well, he’s not wrong. It is.  
Ty groans. The elevator opens on their floor. It’s lucky their room isn’t that far down. It’s a struggle for Tyson to get his keycard out of his wallet and keep Nate upright. Nate thinks the entire situation is hilarious. He keeps giggling as Tyson fumbles around. Finally, the stumble through the door. Somehow Nate ends up on top of Nate, and laughing.   
“You think this is funny, huh?” Ty asks.  
Nate smirks. “Yeah.”  
Tyson rolls his eyes fondly. “We need to get some food and water in you.” Tyson rolls them over and stands up. He hauls Nate over to the bed and somehow gets him onto it. Nate is giggling like Tyson tickled him.   
“Be quiet, you,” Tyson says with a smile on his face. Nate smiles but shuts up. Tyson finds left over snacks from earlier and quietly feeds them to Nate. Between every few bites, Tyson makes him take a sip of water. Before long, Nate’s head is sagging on Tyson’s shoulder. Everything is blurring before his eyes. It’s hard to focus on what Tyson is saying. Then, everything fades to black.  
Nate is jolted out of sleep. He’s sweating and not quite sure why he’s awake. Then, he’s up and running to the bathroom without even thinking about it. He vomits into the toilet, feeling the burn in his throat. The smell of him makes him vomit some more. That’s when he feels a cool hand on his back. It’s Tyson. Nate would know those hands anywhere. Then, he throwing up again. Tyson’s hand stays steady, grounds him a little, until he’s finished vomiting. Tyson helps him over to the counter, then flushes the toilet for him. Nate leans on the countertop while he brushes the taste out of his mouth. Tyson stays at his side, stroking his hair and pressing small kisses to his neck and back.  
“Feeling a little better?” Tyson asks.  
Nate nods. “Do we have any more food?”  
Tyson shakes his head. “But I can order some and some Gatorade too.”  
Nate nods at that idea. “Thank you.” He drops his head back onto Tyson’s shoulder. They stand there for a minute, just being in each other’s presence. Tyson takes his hand and leads him back to the bed. Nate crawls in and pulls the blankets up to his waist. He leans his head against the headboard and watches Tyson call room service. He doesn’t listen to what Tyson says because that’s too much sensory right now. He watches the small things: the way Tyson’s hand curls around the phone. The way his scratches the top of his ear, the part that’s been folded down over years of being shoved into a hockey helmet. The way his back his hunched just slightly. All of these things are so familiar because it’s hockey. Hockey has always been Nate’s life so everything about Tyson is perfect and so familiar. It makes Nate’s heart squeeze just thinking about it.   
“Hey.” The touch on Nate’s face startles him. Tyson his stratling his lap and looking deep into Nate’s eyes. It’s like he can see his soul. “You doing ok?”  
Nate smiles and nods. The concerned expression on Tyson’s face doesn’t go away. Nate strokes his cheek with the back of his fingers. His face isn’t smooth, like he might expect a girl’s to be, but it feels so perfect, so him, that he doesn’t want to stop. He just, kind of, places his hand on Ty’s cheek and leaves it there. Gorgeous. It’s like they were made for each other.  
There’s a soft knock at the door that breaks their trance. Tyson slowly gets off the bed to get the food. It’s a small plate of snacks and two bottles of Nate’s favorite Gatorade. Tyson sits down next to him and balances the tray on his lap. Nate leans against him and plucks pieces of food off the plate to eat.  
“This is the one time I’m okay with you eating food off my plate.” They laugh together, just happy to be together. The food and drink makes Nate feel much better.  
“Can we go back to sleep?” he asks.  
“Of course.” Ty gets up to put the tray outside the door. Nate curls up next to him when he gets back to bed. Tyson presses a soft kiss to Nate’s head before they both drift off again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are always appreciated! My Tumblr is [here](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/)


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's so short! I'm trying to pump out what I can for you guys!

Nate doesn’t come with Tyson to training. He feels horrendous. He’s never had a worse hang over in his life.   
“Hey, it’s okay. The boys will understand. They saw how drunk you were last night. Honestly, they’d probably be surprised if you did come.”  
Nate nods, still feeling bad about missing training.   
“Rest up.” Tyson kisses Nate’s forehead before leaving.   
Nate doesn’t really know what to do. He didn’t bring a lot to do. He didn’t think he’d have a lot of free time. He sleeps a little more before getting up and taking a shower. He orders some food, trying to think of what he can do. He turns on NHL Network while he eats. They’re talking about the All Star game. No kind of regular season analysis whatsoever. He decides to go down to the hotel pool and lounge.   
As he’s getting ready, he here’s Tyson’s voice in his head reminding him about sunscreen. He rolls his eyes, but does put the sunscreen on best he can. He can’t really reach his back, but he just won’t lay on his stomach. He swims for a bit before going to take a nap in the sun.   
That’s where Jo, Ty, and the Lightning guys find him later.  
“Should’ve known this is where you’d ditch us for,” Jo jokes, slapping Nate’s shoulder.  
Nate groans. “Go away. Ty tells him to go away. I was enjoying my nap.”  
“Like I could get Jo to do anything,” Tyson scoffs.   
Nate rolls his eyes and drops his sunglasses back onto his face.  
“Aw, come on, MacKinnon!” Matt yells.  
“Get in the water dude,” Cedric says before he cannonballs in after Matt.  
That’s not what Nate wants. He wants to pull Tyson down on top of him and lay together in the sun. Maybe kiss now and again. He doesn’t hear anything but the general chatter of the pool, for a little too much time to not be concerning. He peeks with one eye and suddenly, both Jo and Tyson descend on him and throw him into the pool. He comes up spluttering and glaring at Tyson. Jo is cackling next to him, but Tyson just looks smug.   
Nate reaches out and pulls Tyson in by the waist. The tumble in the water together, getting caught up in each other’s limbs. When they come up, Jo does a second later spluttering where Michael pushed him in. Then, all six of them are in the water, splashing and hanging on one another, in a way that’s very hockey. Hockey is full of small touches: taps on the ass, claps on the shoulder, pats on the head. This is a place full of hockey players, where Nate can touch Tyson casually and it not be weird. The other players will get why he touches Ty more because they’re teammates. They’ve been teammates for almost two years now. This makes sense. Nate hangs on Ty in the water. Occasionally, Jo comes up behind him to dunk him under the water, but overall the guys don’t question it. The best part is, Tyson is okay with it. He’s generally not okay with even casual touches in public unless he knows no one else can see them.   
They spend the night at the pool, staying well past dark, ordering food that they shouldn’t be eating and not caring a single bit. Nate sticks to water, not wanting a repeat of the night before. Tyson gets a little buzzed, but not enough for it to matter.   
Michael is sitting next to Nate on the edge of the pool, absolutely smashed. “So, if you aren’t with Jo anymore, are you with Tyson?”  
Nate’s heart stops for a second. He can’t breathe. He swallows harshly to pull himself together. “Why do you think that?”  
Michael shakes his head. “Just rumors, and kinda the way you guys interacts.”  
“We’re just close friends,” Nate says, swallowing again. There are rumors? Around the NHL? About him and Ty? Well, that’s new.  
“You sure?” Michael asks, head swinging back.  
Nate chuckles, trying to keep his cool. “Yeah, dude. I’d think I’d know if we were together.”  
“Yeah, but maybe you just don’t want to tell. Which is cool, I mean, it’s not like a thing in hockey, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you were just hiding.”  
Nate smiles shakily at Michael. “Just bros man.”  
Michael sighs softly. “Okay, dude.” They stare at the tranquil water, listening to the ocean in the background. It’s so calm. Nate wishes he were alone with Ty.  
“See ya at practice tomorrow,” Jo says. Nate looks up to see him dressed and leaving. The other boys also say their good-byes to leave, prompted by Jo. It makes Nate think Jo told them, but he knows while Jo would out him at the opportunity to tell his team they banged in junior, he wouldn’t out Ty, not like that, not ever.   
Tyson swims over to Nate and rests his head on Nate’s legs. “How ya feeling?”  
Nate nods. “Pretty good. Didn’t drink anything tonight.”  
“Probably a good idea.”  
“You’re a little tipsy, aren’t you?” Nate asks.  
Tyson shrugs. “Probably. I can’t really tell.”  
“Let’s get up to our room then.” Nate takes off, picking up a few stray items here and there that got left around the pool.  
Tyson smiles broadly and lifts himself out the water to follow after Nate. They’re laughing in the elevator, in a sort of bliss. Nate cups Tyson’s jaw. He kisses him softly, feeling the softness of his lips, the roughness of stubble.   
Tyson is looking at him like he hung the moon when they separate. Nate couldn’t be happier. They stumble out of the elevator, trying to touch in any way possible. Nate gets his keycard out to get them into the room. Tyson keeps his lips on Nate’s lips, backing him up toward the bed. Nate has to keep his arms wrapped around Tyson’s waist to even attempt to stay upright with everything Tyson is giving. He pushes Nate onto the bed, hovering over him with a hungry look in his eyes. Nate gets a feeling he knows what’s happening tonight.   
Nate starts to sit up to strip Tyson, but Tyson puts a hand on his chest and pushes him back down. He strips his shirt, running his hands over his own torso. He runs his hands down his chest and into his pants. He plays a little with waistband. He finally tugs it down a little, teasing Nate more than he should.  
Nate can feel the tent in his swim trunks. It’s straining, and it almost hurts. Ty finally drops his pants and his dick slaps his abs, leaving a small, shiny mark of precome. Nate’s mouth goes dry at the sight of the dark red head.   
“You want this?” Tyson asks, playing with it just a little.  
Nate nods, unable to help himself. He’s drunk off Tyson’s beauty and willingness toward him. Tyson gets on the bed and knee-walks over Nate to his face. Nate quickly gets his mouth on Tyson. He sucks and licks with enthusiasm. He gets his hands on Tyson’s ass cheeks, loving their round fullness. He gets his tongue on the underside of Tyson’s dick, where he knows it’ll drive Tyson wild. Tyson writhes above him, and Nate smiles, best he can anyway.  
“Yes, Nate, just… fuck just like that!”   
Nate tightens his suction, and Tyson practically collapses. He’s panting like he just double shifted.   
“Like that, did you?” Nate asks, a smug smile on his face.   
Tyson is only able to nod.  
“Now, are you gonna fuck me of what?”  
Tyson’s eyes open slowly, like he’s coming own from orgasm that he hasn’t quite had yet. “Now, it’s my turn to take you apart.” He smiles slyly and gets his hands under Nate’s shirt. Nate raises his arms so he can be stripped. Tyson runs his hands down Nate’s torso. Nate can’t help but shiver at the slight touches. His hips jolt when his hands reach the waists band of his pants. Tyson wiggles his eyebrows before pulling down his swim trunks. His dick smacks his stomach, hot and red.   
Tyson sucks on a finger, making eyes at Nate, that Nate can’t help but laugh at. His laughs turn to moans when Tyson wiggles that finger into his hole, stretching his cheeks away from it. He plays with Nate’s rim before plunging in with one finger. It draws a long moan out of Nate. Tyson slips his finger out to get another in. Nate moans as Tyson continues to prep him, the feeling beyond anything he’s felt before, even with Ty. It feels so good. Nate just wants more.  
“More,” he pants, begs really. “More, Ty I need more.”  
“Sounds good.”  
Nate can’t help but giggle for the moment before Tyson pushes in. Nate loves the feeling of Tyson’s bare cock inside him. Tyson slowly slides all the way down. Tyson is pressed all over the top of Nate, and he can’t help but revel in it. He can feel every spot on his body where he is touching Tyson: their legs, their hips, their lower stomachs, where Nate is griping Tyson’s upper arms, and of course, where Tyson is buried inside him. The heat is overwhelming, even for Florida in February. He watches a small drop of sweat drip down Tyson’s forehead and he feels it land on his shoulder.  
“Move,” he finally whines.   
Tyson pulls all the way out, except for one small inch before slamming back into him. Nate gasps, the pressure against his prostate is beyond mind blowing. Tyson sets a brutal rhythm that has Nate clinging of his life. He’s sure his nail’s leave small scratches on Tyson’s back, as he tries to find some purchase.  
“Nate, Nate,” Tyson pants. He somehow manages to get all his weight on one hand so he can start jacking Nate off.   
It’s too much. It’s all too much. It sends Nate spiraling, lost on the waves of his orgasm. He sees stars just before he blacks out.  
When he comes to, he feels warm, outside and inside his body. His heart is soaring. He’s still very sweaty, and when he moves, he’s pretty sure he can feel Tyson’s come leaking out of him. The man himself is pressed up behind Nate, both lying on their sides. His arms are wrapped securely around Nate’s chest. Their legs are tangled together, hanging off the side of the bed. He can feel Tyson’s breath on his neck, and the occasional butterfly kiss he places there.   
“Welcome back, my love,” Tyson whispers. The air tickles his ear and shifts some of his hair into his eyes.   
“We need to shower,” Nate whispers back. He turns in Tyson’s arms. He can feel more come leak out onto his thighs. Tyson is smiling dopily at him, like he hasn’t quite come down from his orgasm yet.  
“The bed needs a shower.”  
Nate giggles. “That ridiculous, Ty.”  
“So is showering then coming back to sleep in this bed.”  
He makes a good point. Nate stares at him for a minute before relenting. “At least give me a tissue.”  
Tyson rolls to grab Nate a tissue. Nate wipes between his legs, getting as much as he can. Tyson, it seems, had already cleaned his chest of his own come. He tossed the tissue over the bed to deal with later. He plays with Tyson’s hair when he rolls back over. He loves how curly it gets when he’s sweaty. He is most definitely sweaty after that round.   
Tyson bats his hand away softly. “Sleep.”  
Nate presses a soft kiss to Ty’s lips. “Okay.” They fall asleep in each other’s arms, happy and satisfied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on Tumblr [here](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/)  
> Thanks for reading! Comments always appriciated!!


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is the last update until after the All Star games! Hope you enjoy!

The next day, Jo picks them up for training, like he has all week. They don’t do much, mostly training games that are more game than training. The congratulate everyone on a week well done at the end. Jo invites everyone to his house to watch the last of the games. Nate and Ty stay for most of the night, but Nate keeps quietly reminding Ty that they have reservations.   
“Bye, Jo,” Nate says, bro hugging.  
“Bye man. Actually call me sometime in the next few months.”  
Nate chuckles. “Will do man. Enjoy the rest of the night.” Jo waves as the walk out the door to the taxi that will take them to the restaurant.  
“Are we dressed appropriate?” Ty asks.  
Nate rolls his eyes at the same statement that he’s heard five other time that night. “Yes, we’re good.”  
The taxi pulls up to a small restaurant on a corner downtown. It has lights hanging on the patio that give it a really homey feel. Tyson smiles broadly at Nate. “This is cute.”  
The climb out and pay the taxi driver. Nate gives his name to the hostess and she smiles knowingly as she escorts them to a table on the side alley patio. There’s colorful murals painted on the opposite wall and the alley is draped in soft light.  
“This is gorgeous, Nate,” Tyson says in awe.  
“I’m glad you like it.” Nate hides his blush by opening his menu and refusing to look at Ty.   
“Can I pick the wine?” Ty asks.  
Nate scoffs. “Like I’d ever ask you not too.”  
Tyson laughs. “You did well enough on your own from room service.”  
“Yeah, but you weren’t really available.”  
Tyson’s smile continues. “Good point.”  
Tyson orders some fancy wine and a fancy appetizer to go with. It’s really good wine, not like Tyson expected anything different. The food is really good and overall it’s a very, private, romantic night. Nate wants to walk out holding hands, but of course they can’t. He wishes for it now, even though he knows it’s coming. It may be a way off but it is coming. Tyson’s taken some big steps, and Nate knows there’s more to come, but he couldn’t be more proud to call Tyson his.   
Back at the hotel, the undress slowly, taking time to kiss and caress each other. They don’t have sex, but they lay in bed, making out for longer than Nate will ever care to admit. He doesn’t really want to go back to Denver where Tyson is nothing more than his best friend. He wants Tyson to be fully and completely his to the team. He wants the team to know, but he can’t push Tyson. He really, really can’t. He’s seen what can happen when someone who is uncertain is pushed. He can’t let that happen, not to Ty.  
The flight home is uneventful. The guys at practice the next day all are ecstatic to be back after the break. Nate stays happy (and truly is when his skates hit the ice) but his heart is still in Florida, in a reality that didn’t quite make it back to Denver.  
Max takes him home. For a while, Nate thinks it’s going to a thankfully silent car ride. He’s wrong.  
“What up, kid? You don’t seem all here.”  
“I want Tyson to come out to the team, but I know that’s not really something I can ask of him. I don’t want to push him to do something he’s not ready for. And he just came out to his family at Christmas. It was a huge step, but I feel like I want more.”  
“Have you told him how you feel?” Max asks.  
Nate shakes his head. “Like I said, I don’t want to push him. Telling him will-“  
“Telling him will let him know where you’re at. Then, he has a chance to tell you where he’s at. It’s called communication Nate. It’s really good for a healthy relationship.”  
Nate rolls his eyes. “I know.”  
“So talk to him. Get lunch with your boy after practice tomorrow and talk.”  
Nate nods. “Okay, Dad.”  
“Sure, bud. Anything for my son.” He reaches across the console and ruffles Nate’s hair. “Did I ever tell you that this haircut is probably the best thing that’s happened to you all year?”  
Nate scowls and swats at Max.  
The next day is weird. They get to the Family Rec Center and Tyson hugs him right off the bat. It catches Nate a little off guard. They’ve never really hugged at hockey before. On the ice, sure, but in the locker room? It’s definitely different. Then, Nate hears the music he’s playing. It’s music Nate has called sappy love songs more than once, even though they’re generally extremely upbeat. It seems to put everyone in a happy mood. They go through practice, happy, joking, and laughing.   
They’re going over a two on one drill. Nate is up against Tyson and Holden. Generally, they’re a pretty unstoppable pairing. Roy’s had them as a pair for a good season now. But, if anyone can get through them, Nate knows it’s him. As he’s settling himself, Tyson skates by and winks at him. It throws him off, and when Roy blows his whistle, Nate isn’t ready to go, but he scoops up the puck anyway. He dekes a little, trying to throw Ty off. He can see Holden out of the corner of his eye. Holden is there to make sure he doesn’t dive left, or at least doesn’t try to. Nate knows he has to get between the two D-men for anything to have a shot at reaching the net.   
When he dekes left, trying to muscle his way between Ty and Nick, Tyson says, low enough only Nate and maybe Holden can hear, “I don’t think so, babe.” It flusters Nate to hear him call him that. He loses focus for a second and, Holden strips him and send the puck into center ice.  
Nate slows and bumps into the boards softly. He knows he’s staring at Ty, jaw dropped. That just… that just wouldn’t be something Tyson would say to him, ever, in public.   
“What?” Ty asks shrugging. He makes kissy lips at Nate as he skates by before rejoining the rest of the group.  
“Cat got your tongue, kid?” Iggy asks, when Nate finally manages to skate back to center. Roy is glaring at him for wasting time, but Nate can’t seem to find the energy to care. Ty said that to him, at practice, with other guys around. He still can’t wrap his head around it.   
They go through for a few more drills. Nate can’t focus on anything, because Tyson continues to tease and flirt with Nate all of practicing. Nate is spending more time and energy trying not to pop a boner in front of all the guys than he is actually playing hockey. He doesn’t even hear what Roy says after practice. He’s more concerned with Tyson’s hand playing with the back of his practice jersey. He can’t fucking think straight like this. This isn’t normal. Ty doesn’t act like this. Ty doesn’t do affection, mostly because he’s in the closet. Nate doesn’t really mind that, but this is fucking with him.   
The team is all smiles in the locker room. Tyson plays similar music to what he played at the beginning of practice. It’s so weird to Nate. Then, out of nowhere, Tyson drops down onto Nate’s lap. Nate lets out a “oof” in surprise.   
“You got something to tell us?” Matt jokes, unlacing his shoes.  
“Yup,” Ty says, nodding.  
Nate gives him a look of confusion and the whole room is looking at them. Tyson smiles down at him from his perch. Before Nate has a chance to ask or react or anything, Tyson is kissing him. His hands are laced behind his neck, cradling his head to make the kiss deeper. The room is whistling and cat calling louder than any music Ty has playing.  
When Ty pulls away, Nate can’t see straight. It was a mind blowing kiss, but fuck it was in front of the entire team. Ty just came out. Ty just came out to the entire team, by fucking kissing Nate. He finally can make out Max and Gabe’s shocked expressions. The rest of the team looks smug, or surprised, or just outright bewildered.   
“You’re dating?!” Matt exclaims.  
Ty nods proudly.   
“Holy shit guys!” Ty laughs, head falling onto Nate’s shoulder. Nate chuckles softly, not really believing it. It has to be a dream. He’s dreaming.  
“Am I dreaming?” Nate whispers.  
Ty shakes his head. “Not in a million years.” He kisses Nate one more time before he slides of Nate’s lap into his own stall to start undressing.   
Holden looks at them thoughtfully. “That explains so much.”  
“I agree, but holy shit it leaves a lot of questions too!” Matt is staring them down from across the room. Nate is avoiding eye contact because he knows he doesn’t want to answer any of his questions. “How long has this… ya know, been going on?”  
“A little over a year,” Tyson says smugly. He has fucking reason to be. He just dropped a bomb on the entire squad, not even just the ones who didn’t know anyway. He blew everyone out of the fucking water.  
“A year!” Matt exclaims. “You fuckers.”  
“Yeah, on a daily basis,” Tyson says, maintaining a straight face.  
The entire room groans. “More than we needed to know man,” Cody says.   
“For real. That’s not cool Ty,” EJ groans.   
“Matt brought it upon himself and the rest of you assholes,” Nate says, finally gaining balance in this new world.   
A barrage of tape balls come flying at Matt. In his defense, he dopes pretty well at batting the, away.   
“Wait, did you three know?” Iggy is looking at Gabe and Max, who still look at a loss for words and Ryan who looks like he knew the whole time. The three nod.  
“How did you think I didn’t?” Max asks. “Tyson is either under my roof, or Nate is under Tyson’s.”  
Iggy nods. “Makes sense. Gabe?”  
“I’m his captain. He told me before he told all you.”  
Matt looks positively offended at that.  
“And Ryan?” Holden asks.  
“Tyson came to me when he was sure Nate didn’t like him.” That causes more laughter, and Tyson to blush all the way to the tips of his smushed ears.   
“Okay, but now here's the real question,” Matt says. “Do we let them in the showers together?”  
That gets the whole room cracking up. Nate rolls his eyes. Like they'd do anything around that many people, especially teammates. “Just gross guys, really?”  
“Oh come on Mac,” Matt says slapping his shoulder on the way to the showers. “It was a joke.”  
“I'm sure.”  
After they shower, Nate asks Tyson, “Lunch?”  
Tyson nods. “My place?”   
Nate nods. “Sure.”  
They climb into Tyson’s car, holding hands until the absolutely can't. Nate leaves his hand on Tyson’s thigh the entire way to his place.   
Tyson shuffles around in the kitchen under Nate’s confused gaze.  
“What made you do that?” Nate asks. He slides into a stool at the breakfast bar so he can watch Ty cook.   
Tyson shrugs. “I got home from our trip, and I couldn't stop thinking about how awesome it was just to be us around Jo. And we had a few guys like that, ya know. But after practice yesterday, I just thought how could I keep this from them anymore. They're family, and they support us no matter what. I knew I could do it. It wasn't going to be hard. You actually made it really with the way you kept reacting today,” Tyson says giggling.  
“Really?”  
Tyson nods. “It was just like you were encouraging me. I couldn't help but keep going.”   
Nate smiles. There's nothing he likes more than being there for his boyfriend.  
Tyson blushes a little. “You've been there for me through much. I don't know what I'd do without you.”  
“You'd fail, obviously,” Nate says joking rolling his eyes.  
“I would though,” Tyson says softly. “I don't think I'd ever come out to my family without you. I don't think I'd ever come out to the team without you. You're special, Nate. I really, really don't know where I'd be without you.”  
Nate wants to tell Tyson he's wrong, that he'd be amazing and awesome like he always is. But, something in Tyson’s face says not too. Something is telling Nate that pushing this today is not a good idea. So instead, Nate just smiles and says, “I love you so much.”  
“I love you too.” He pushes a plate with two sandwiches and some fruit over to Nate. “Lunch is served.” Tyson grabs two Gatorades out of the fridge before joining Nate at the breakfast bar. Nate leans his head on Tyson's shoulder as he slowly munches on his sandwich. He's never felt so happy in his life and yet all he wants to do is lay on Tyson and claim him as his own.   
“Wanna do anything today?” Nate asks.  
Tyson shakes his head. “Let's just hang and play-” Just then there's a banging at the door.   
“Let is in boys!” Matt calls from the hallway.  
Both Nate and Tyson groan, but Ty gets up and lets the boys in. The boys, consisting of Ryan, Gabe, Matt, and Holden. “What’s up?” Matt asks, like there isn’t some ulterior motive for him being there.  
“Why are you guys here?” Tyson asks exasperated. Nate is a little disappointed. He wanted to spend the day lounging on the couch with Tyson. Not that he can’t do that now, but now there’s an audience.  
“We just wanted to hang out. We haven’t had bro time in a while,” Ryan says, searching the fridge. He emerges with a Gatorade in hand. “You like the gross flavors,” Ryan complains.  
Nate rolls his eyes. Gabe and Matt have already deposited themselves on Ty’s couch. Holden is looking at Ty’s game collection. Ty looks at Nate a shrugs. Nate and Ty take to the other end of the couch. Nate is squished at the end, but he decides just to lean on Tyson and try to relax. This is normal. This is bros, except now the bros know what Tyson and Nate are.   
Ryan passes controllers around. Nate shakes his head when he offers him one. “Really Nate?” Matt asks.  
“I just wanted to hang with my man, then you guys had to go and show up. I’m just gonna watch and cuddle my boy.”  
The guys chuckle but don’t say anything in response. The rest of the afternoon is spent playing video games and chirping each other. This is something Nate could get used to. He likes the ability to himself around his friends. He orders pizza later and they eat watching the Blackhawks and Penguins game.   
“Okay, was this really that bad?” Gabe asks Nate. They’re leaning against the breakfast bar, nursing a few beers.  
Nate sighs and shakes his head. “No I liked it. I want to get used to it. But, I’m a little afraid too.”  
“Why?”  
“Because I’m scared Tyson is going to change his mind.”  
“He looks pretty all in to me.”  
Nate sighs. “I know.”  
“You should trust him. He obviously came out to the team for you. It’s a pretty huge step, Nate. I wouldn’t be too concerned.”  
Nate doesn’t say anything, just watches Tyson mess around with Matt. This is what makes him happy, more than anything.   
Finally, the boys leave.   
“See ya at morning skate tomorrow!” Matt shouts.   
“He’s a menace,” Nate says when they shut the door.  
Tyson laughs. “Yes, yes he is.”  
“Bed?” Nate asks.  
“I was hoping you’d ask.” They kiss all the way to the bedroom. It’s one of the most energetic fucks of Nate’s life.   
When they’re lying in bed after, Tyson is giving Nate little scritches that he loves. “Can I move back in with you?” Nate asks, after a minute.  
Tyson’s fingers stall. “Are you sure?”  
Nate pushes up on his elbow to look down at Ty. “Of course I do. Are… are you sure you want me to move back?”  
Tyson smiles. “Like that’s even a question.” He pulls Nate in for a quick kiss. “It’s just your dogs are at Max’s place.”  
Nate shrugs. “They can either stay there, or we can take them home.”  
“You sure?” Tyson asks.  
“If it means getting to be with you, yeah of course I’m sure.”  
The next morning, Nate has a text on his phone from Max, telling him not to worry about his bag. Nate smiles as he sits down at the breakfast bar across from Tyson. “What’s for breakfast?”  
“Eggs.” Tyson turns around from the fridge with a carton of eggs. Nate grabs an orange from the fruit bowl and starts peeling it.   
“Who texted you?” Tyson cracks a few eggs to a skillet.  
“Max. He’s got my bag.”  
Tyson smiles and he starts to cook the eggs. (Nate’s favorite, sunny side up.) “That’s good. We’ll have a little more time than I planned.”  
At the rink for morning skate, the boys are just the same. If anything the teasing escalates. Tyson takes it all in stride. Nate punches a few people and puts more pucks past Varly and Reto than normal.   
They’re singing along to Eye of Tiger in the locker room when Roy comes in. “Barrie. Mackinnon. We need to see you after you shower.”  
Tyson looks at Nate and back to Roy. He nods with Nate. Obviously, they can’t refuse. If Nate’s got the right idea, management wants to talk to them about their sexuality and their relationship. They hurry to shower, leaving the rest of the boys in the agony of Matt’s playlist.   
Roy is sitting with Sakic and the PR people. Sakic motions for them to sit.   
“So, it has come to our attention that there are some things about your personal life we should probably discuss.”  
“Way to beat around the bush,” Nate mumbles.  
“We just want to hear it from the two of you, and what you’re intending to do about it.”   
Nate looks to Ty and shrugs. “There’s not much to say, sir,” Nate starts.  
“We’re in a loving relationship,” Ty continues. “We didn’t want to keep it from the team. It felt like we we’re hiding from our family,” Ty says looking at Nate to confirm what he’s saying is accurate for both of them.  
“We’ve already discussed my sexuality and where I’m at with it,” Nate says leaning his elbows on his knees.   
Sakic nods. “So, we should probably hear from Tyson, what his opinions are.”  
Tyson nods, swallowing. “I just want to play hockey and be with Nate. I don’t want to come out to the world.”  
Sakic nods. “That sounds good.”  
“You’ll need to make sure your social media stays fairly friendship like,” one of the PR people says.  
Both Nate and Ty nod. “We know how that goes.”  
Sakic smiles. “Wonderful. As a management team, we’re happy to have both of you be a part of the organization. As long as this doesn’t affect your performance, we don’t see the need to trade anyone.”  
Nate beams. He likes that sound of that.  
“Thank you, so much, sir,” Tyson says.  
“Of course, son. Now, go get ready for that game tonight!”  
Ty and Nate leave his office beaming.   
(They win the game.)  
On their off day the next day, they go over to Max’s place to start packing his shit up. Max is teasing like always, and Cynthia has Jaxson on her hip like always. His dogs are biting at his heels the entire time. It’s a ridiculous picture, really. Max promises to keep the dogs until the end of the season when Nate can get them home.   
“We’ll miss having you around,” Cynthia says. She hugs him tightly and gives him a small kiss on the forehead.   
He turns to Max who shrugs. “It’s not like I won’t see you every day anyway.”  
Nate scoffs. “Fine. I’ll give all my love to your son.” He takes Jaxson from Cynthia’s arms so he can hug him and say good-bye. He kisses the top of his head.   
“See ya tomorrow,” he says to Max.  
“See ya, bud.”  
Nate is giddy as they drive to Tyson’s apartment. He’s actually moving in with him. This is an actual thing.   
“Will you chill out?” Tyson asks. “It’s like you didn’t even go to practice.”  
Nate giggles. “I’m sorry. I’m just really excited.” Nate sees Tyson unable to keep the smile off his face as he drives.   
They pick up lunch on the way back. It takes the better part of the afternoon to put all of Nate’s stuff away.   
“What do you want for dinner?” Tyson asks. They’re lounging on the couch watching shit TV.   
Nate shrugs. “No clue. Surprise me.” Tyson smiles and pecks Nate on the lips before standing up. “I love that you cook, you know?” Nate asks.  
Tyson chuckles. “Yeah. I did.”  
Tyson makes Nate’s favorite: spaghetti. They eat with the Wild game on in the background. Tyson keeps running his toes up the back of Nate’s thigh. It’s driving him absolutely crazy.   
Nate is watching Tyson closely as he watches dishes. The way his muscles move is mesmerizing. He’s never understood Ty’s need to clean them rather than using the fully functional dishwasher. He finally goes up behind him to return the favor. He laces his fingers around the front of Tyson’s stomach. He presses into Tyson’s back and starts mouthing at Ty’s neck. He feels Ty shudder, but he continues washing the dishes. He slowly moves up so he can nip at Tyson’s earlobes. He can hear Tyson swallow. It isn’t too much longer before Nate is grinding against Tyson’s ass. Tyson has stopped washing and is just moan and rocking back against Nate.  
“Bedroom?” Nate breathes into his ear.  
Ty nods, swallowing harshly. They barely register the splash as he drops the dishes so they can go to the bedroom. Nate turns Tyson around in his arms so he’s walking backwards. Nate’s kiss is meticulous. His lips brush just the right way. His teeth nip just the right amount. His tongue fucks in just enough. It draws every possible sound, shutter, and gasp from Tyson who is effectively melting in his arms. Tyson sits down harshly when his ankles hit the bed. Nate settles onto Ty’s lap. He laces his fingers into Ty’s curls so he can pull while he fucks his mouth with his tongue. Tyson gets his hands on Nate’s ass and grinds up into his hips. It’s perfect just like it is, and it’s not enough.   
Tyson gets his hands under Nate’s shirt and lifts it off. Nate is sad that he has to separate from Ty’s mouth to get his shirt off, but is happy when it’s gone. Then, all he wants it Tyson’s shirt gone too. It is gone before the thought finishes in Nate’s mind. The skin on skin makes everything better. Both are slowly starting to work up a sweat. It’s making the slide up and down even more delicious. Tyson’s hands roam Nate’s back, bringing him even closer. Tyson struggles to undo Nate’s pants as he keeps kissing. Nate, finally, switches to kissing Ty’s neck to make it easier. Nate sits naked on top of Tyson, smiling down at him. Ty’s hair is already getting a little sweaty and Nate loves it. It makes his curls that much more pronounced.   
“You’re turn.” Nate pushes Tyson down onto the bed. He slowly makes his way down Ty’s chest. He pauses at his nipples. He laves one with his tongue and twists the other between two fingers. Ty’s hips shoot up as he moans. Nate nips at the one in his mouth to hear Tyson moan again.   
“Nate,” Tyson groans.   
Happy, Nate continues on. He sucks a deep bruise just above Ty’s belly button. Tyson keep wriggling, which makes it hard, but Nate knows just how ticklish Ty can be. He gets his hands on the button which he does quickly as well as the zipper. He makes eye contact as he slides the jeans and briefs down. He sees Ty’s Adam’s apple bob as his dick pops out. Nate wets his lips at the sight. He scrambles back on top of Ty as soon as he’s stripped. They’re slow make out session quickly escalates to hot and heavy and needy. Tyson is whining outright. Nate sucks a deep, dark bruise that everyone will recognize in the morning, into Ty’s neck. He wants to claim him, make him his. He’s wanted to do this for too long. Ty’s a mess, so lost in pleasure already. Nate gets and hand between them, so he can jerk them for a little. Ty’s hips thrust up, trying to get more.  
“What do you want, babe?” Nate asks.   
It takes a few moments for Tyson to collect enough breath to answer. “Fuck me.” He gasps again. “Please Nate, fuck.” His breath is stuttering as he speaks. “Fuck me!”  
“No need to ask twice,” Nate laughs. He grabs the lube and squeezes some into his hand. He warms it up, watching the way Ty is literally falling apart beneath him. He pulls on one cheek, so he can see Ty’s pucker. He wriggles and finger against it, listening to Ty whine, before pushing in slowly. His hole takes one finger eagerly, trying to take more than Tyson is willing to give him. He gets another finger in there, watching Tyson greedily take it. He starts scissoring. It causes Tyson to arch up, wanting more.  
“Please. Please!”  
“What? What do you want babe?” Nate keeps working his fingers in and out, but he climbs up Tyson’s torso, licking and kissing his whole way.  
“More. I need… more!”  
Nate won’t torcher him any longer. He goes back to where he can see his work and gets a third finger in. Tyson is writhing underneath him. His dick is dripping onto the flat of his stomach. It looks so good, but Nate has feeling that if he touches Ty right now, he might explode. Well, it’s not really a bad thing, but Nate doesn’t want to exhaust Ty for tomorrow.   
He gets settled on top of Ty and lubes up his dick. Tyson is a sight to see, in the process though. He’s glistening with sweat. His breathes are coming in huge heaves. His eyes are fluttering, trying to stay open, but not wanting to at all. His hair is soaked, the curls bouncing just like Nate likes them. It looks like he just skated a two-minute shift, and Nate is ready to eat him up.   
He swallows and positions his dick at Tyson’s entrance. Ty whines. “Now, Nate!”  
Nate chuckles and pushes in slowly, reveling in the feeling of Ty opening around him. He loves this feeling. He loves being entirely sheathed inside the man he loves more than anything else in this world. It’s really a religious experience.   
Nate drops forwards and gets his fingers deep into Tyson’s hair, making small little movements before he starts fucking Ty in earnest. Nate’s sure he’s addicted to the sounds Ty is making. He sucks them all up with his mouth, kissing Ty and rough and he’s fucking him. The slide is crazy wild and before Nate knows it, Ty is coming, without being touched once. It stalls Nate for a second. Ty just came untouched, because of him. He caused that. It’s a revelation in and of itself.  
“Move!” Tyson demands. Nate is more than happy to oblige. It isn’t long before he’s coming deep inside Ty. His arms shake and he collapses. They lay there for a while, breathing and just being in each other’s presence. It’s more than that though. It’s being a part of one another. It’s truly being one, something that not everyone gets to feel.  
Nate eventually does pull out, drawing a hiss from Tyson. And in the end, he’s too tired to wash up. They fall asleep, filthy and perfect content and in love. 

They play like they have all season. They lose some. They win some. They don’t win enough for the playoffs to be in the question unfortunately. They all go out when they are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. It’s the perfect night to get wasted. They don’t have practice in the morning or a game for two days. And they’re at home. All the guys are taking double shots and dancing like wild animals. Nate’s drunk enough for it to feel good, but not enough to be trashed. He lost Tyson in the crowd a while ago. He’s leaning against the bar with Ryan and Max who’s drinking to drown himself.  
“S’not that bad,” Nate slurs.   
“Sure, bud,” is Max’s response.   
Nate doesn’t know what he means by that. Just then, Tyson rams into him from behind. They’re giggling together, like they’ve lost their minds.   
“Get a fucking Ubber!” Ryan shouts.  
Nate flips him off before the two of them stumble off together. They request an Ubber and lean against the building outside together, waiting.   
“Another year gone, man,” Tyson breathes.   
“We’ll get there next year.”  
Tyson scoffs. “We say that every year. I just we would finally suck it up and put our play where our mouths are.”  
Nate nods. That’s when their Ubber decides to make an appearance. They bustle inside and give the driver their address. They are able to stay platonic until they get home. Tyson shoves Nate against the door. They’re mouths meet fairly unceremoniously. There’s a lot of teeth and tongue. They make it to the bedroom. Nate is just getting in the mood for some action, when Tyson bolts.  
Nate sits up confused. His drunk brain isn’t really getting what’s going on until he hears Tyson throwing up in the bathroom. Nate sighs and gets a glass of water and Asprin before joining him. He rubs Ty’s back, and hands him the much needed water. Nate kisses Tyson’s forehead and goes back to their bedroom. (Wow, it’s their bedroom now.) He strips and gets into bed. Ty comes back a few minutes later and joins in suit. Nate tucks him into his chest and that’s how they fall asleep.   
The next two weeks bring really amazing news, and really horrible news. He and Ty are just lounging around after practice. Nate’s phone dings and Tyson tosses it to him from across the room.  
“Who is it?” Tyson asks.  
“It’s Max.” Nate looks at the screen in confusion. “He wants to have dinner.”  
“It’s not that strange, is it?” Tyson comes over and presses the wrinkles between Nate’s eyes away. Nate swats at him, not really looking.  
“No, I guess not.” He responds that they’ll be there.   
They go over to Max’s around sixish. Max opens the door, but he’s not smiling. He lets them in and goes back to the couch. Cynthia is in the kitchen as they walk by. She gives them a tight lipped smile.   
Jaxson is playing in the floor in front of the TV. Nate and Ty sit down next to Max on the couch.  
“Beer?” Max asks. Both Nate and Ty take one. Nate notices he seems kind of off. His eyes keep flirting around and both he and Cynthia don't seem very happy.  
“What's up man?” Tyson asks.  
Max clears his throat. It's probably something we should talk about over dinner.”  
“Well, dinner is ready,” Cynthia says. Max nods. Nate grabs Jaxson and gets him into his seat for Cynthia.   
After they all start in on their meal, Nate finally asks, “What's going on?”   
Max looks at Cynthia before answering. “I've been traded.”  
“What?” Nate and Tyson exclaim at the same time.  
Max nods. “I got the call this morning. I'll be leaving tomorrow.”  
Nate shakes his head. No way. There's just no way.  
“I'm going to Boston. It's probably a smart move.”  
“It fucking sucks,” Ty mutters.   
Max nods.   
“We'll be packing a moving after the season.”  
Nate sighs. “I'm so sorry you guys.”  
Max shakes his head. “I saw it coming.”   
“Do you guys need any kind of help? I could have my parents come get my dogs.”  
“No you don't need to do that, honey.”   
Nate shakes his head. “You don't need to worry about my dogs along with Jaxson and packing.”  
“Well thank you honey.”  
The rest of the meal passes in a sad silence. No one really knows what to say.   
“I hope you do well in Boston,” Nate tells Max before he leaves.  
Max gives him a small smile. “You've been a pretty good billet son. I know you're gonna do amazing things for this club, bud.” He pulls Nate in for a tight hug. “I'm on a miss you kid.”  
“Me too, Max.”   
Nate hugs Cynthia and Jaxson one more time before they leave. “I can’t believe the traded him,” Nate says when they’re in the car.  
“It really sucks,” Tyson says. He starts the car and rest of the ride is silent. Nate slams the car door shut in frustration when the get home. His phone ringing in his pocket startles him. “Hello?”  
“Nate. Great. I’m assuming Max told you what’s going on.” It’s Sakic on the other end.  
“Uh, yes sir,” Nate says stumbling a little. Tyson gives a look, to ask who’s on the phone.   
“Tomorrow after morning skate, we will need to discuss your living arrangements.”  
“My living arrangements, sir?” Nate asks, following Tyson into the apartment building.  
“Yes. You won’t be able to stay with Max anymore. We will help you hire a realtor to help you figure things out.”  
“Uh, sir. You are aware I’m living with Tyson now, right?”  
There’s a beat of silence. “No I was not. In that case, we’ll need to speak with both of you tomorrow.”  
“Uh, okay sir.”  
“We’ll see you tomorrow, Nate.” The line goes dead.  
“Who was that?” Tyson asks immediately after he slips his phone away.  
“Sakic. Apparently he needs to talk to us after skate tomorrow.”  
“Again? What is it about this time?”  
“Our living arrangement.”  
Tyson looks just as boggled as Nate feels. “What’s wrong with it?”  
Nate shrugs. “Sakic just said he wanted to talk to us.”  
“I can’t see what’s wrong with this.” Tyson unlocks the door, and they step inside.   
Nate doesn’t really want to do anything. He’s emotionally exhausted and just wants sleep before practice tomorrow. They get ready for bed together, in silence, because that’s what Nate wants.  
Tyson bundles him up against his chest once they’re in bed, knowing that Nate needs the comfort and the warmth of Tyson. He strokes Nate’s hair, scratching the scalp on occasion. They fall asleep like that.  
Nate’s worried the next morning. He keeps rolling his shoulders, and tapping his fingers, and shaking his leg. Ty eventually comes over and hugs him front behind. “It’s going to be okay.”  
“But, what if it’s not?” Nate asks.  
“What’s the worse they can do?” Ty asks,  
“They can tell me I can’t live with you, that I have to get an apartment of my own.”  
“Who’s stopping you from spending your time here? Who’s stopping you from spending your nights here?”  
Nate sighs. “No one.”  
“Exactly. The worst they can do is make you buy an apartment.”  
Nate nods. “Okay. Let’s go.”  
Practice is practice. It helps get Nate’s jitters out, but not much more. He thinks Roy knows what’s up. He didn’t do well today. It was out there for everyone to see. He can see Tyson trying to smile at him from the corner of his eye. He’s too scared for even that. He showers without acknowledging Ty. It isn’t until Tyson puts a hand on his back while they’re getting dressed, that he kind of snaps out of it.   
“Ready?”  
Nate takes a deep breath and nods. It’s a smaller group of people in Sakic’s office this time.   
“Ah, boys. There you are. Have a seat.”  
Nate and Ty sit down awkwardly. He’s really unsure of their need to be here right now.   
“So, we need to discuss living arrangements,” Sakic starts.  
“I don’t see why,” Tyson says. “We’re roommates. No big deal.”  
“Tell that to the fans,” the PR lady says.  
“They’ve literally seen us as best friends for the past two years. What’s the issue?”  
“The issue is we need Nate, as one of our up and coming stars, to set down roots in Colorado. It makes a statement that he’s here to stay.”  
Nate blinks. “I’m here to stay.”  
Sakic nods. “Son, there’s a really good chance you’ll get a long term contract after your rookie contract expires. I want you to set down roots. What you do it your own time is up to you. I’m not stopping you.” He smiles. “But, please, get something of your own down here.”  
Nate nods.   
Sakic beams and sits back. “That was easier than I thought.”  
Tyson thanks him and herds Nate out. He’s still in shock. He’s getting a full contract in a year. “You okay, babe?” Tyson asks as they’re walking through the Peps Center.   
Nate nods. “I… I didn’t think I was going to get a long term contract.”  
Tyson scoffs a little. “Seriously? You’re literally out best guy out there. Of course Sakic wants to keep you for the long run.”   
“It’s still crazy to think about.” Nate can’t fathom it. He’s really, probably, here for the long haul. That’s crazy. He glances over, and Tyson is looking at him like he hung the moon. Nate can feel himself blush. “What?”  
Tyson just shakes his head.   
The next day, the fantastic news comes. Nate is getting ready to call James to talk about hiring a realtor and such, when James calls him.   
“Hey, what’s up?” Nate asks. “Is this about the apartment thing?”  
“No. Nate. You’re gonna want to sit down for this.”  
“Uh oh. That sounds like bad news. Is it bad news James?”  
James chuckles. “Are you sitting down Nate?”  
“Yeah.” Tyson is giving him a funny look.  
“Okay. You were asked to attended Worlds.”  
“What?” Nate asks. He’s not sure he heard right.   
“The IIHF wants you to play worlds for Canada.”  
Nate blinks, trying to get control of his breathing.   
“Nate, are you okay?” Tyson asks.  
“Nate, are you still there?”   
Nate waves Tyson off. “Yeah, I’m here James.”  
“So, I take it your answer is yes?”  
Nate nods. “Of course. I’m not gonna turn that down.”  
“Wonderful.” There’s a smile in James’ voice. “I’ll send you the information you’ll need. You won’t be leaving until after the season is over, of course.”  
“Right.” Nate breathes. Holy shit, he’s going to play in worlds.   
“What was that about apartments?” James asks.  
“Oh.” Nate collects himself before explaining the situation to James.   
“Sounds like Sakic makes some good points. I’ll get on it, Nate.”  
“Thanks.”  
“Of course.”  
Nate hangs up.  
“What was that?” Tyson asks.  
Before Nate can answer, Tyson’s cell phone rings. Nate smiles when Tyson’s phone call goes similarly to his own.  
Tyson is looking at him in shock when he hangs up the phone.   
“Worlds?” Nate asks, with a smile on his face.  
Tyson nods, still in shock. “You too?”  
Nate nods. The collapse in a hug. It feels good, knowing they’ll be going together. They’re gonna raise some hell in Prague this summer. They’re both playing for team Canada. Nothing feels better than it does right now.  
“Worlds, man. We’re going to worlds,” Tyson says in awe.  
“I know. We’re going to worlds together.”  
Ty grabs Nate’s face and plants a smacking kiss on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I won't be posting over the break, come to my [Tumblr](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/) and give me prompts! I will do almost any ship so come send them! Thanks!! As always, comments appreciated!


	15. Chapter 15

It starts as just any practice. Tyson is joking around, playing a decent mix of music. He’s started playing a little more country to keep Matt from complain and jacking the aux cord. Nate laughs at Tyson’s newest joke. He turned a joke from Matt about their sexuality around and now the whole room is laughing.   
It starts small. They’re on the ice. It feels like a twinge or a cramp or something in his foot.   
“You okay?” Gabe asks, skating by.  
Nate nods and gets back into the drill. The pain escalates over practice, becoming a full on cramp to just crazy painful. He limps over to the bench.  
“What’s up, kid?” Coach asks.  
“There’s something wrong with my foot. It’s really hurting.”  
Coach looks at him for a minute before nodding down the hall. “Go to the doctor. I’ll be in after practice.”  
He gets some confused looks as he leaves the ice, but he can’t stand to put pressure on his foot anymore.   
The doctor gets him on a table and help him get his skate off. It hurts like a bitch, but Nate breathes through it. It’s the only way to get through being a hockey player. He doesn’t want to look down. He can already tell there’s swelling by the way it feels when the skate comes off. The doctor presses on different parts of his foot to gage his reaction.   
“Well, Nate,” the doctor says writing a few things down, “without an MRI, it’s a possible hairline fracture.”  
Nate drops his head back and groans. “How long would I be out?”  
The doctor shrugs. “If I’m right, six to eight weeks.”  
Nate groans again.   
“Sorry bud. Can you think of what you did to do this?”  
Nate’s brow scrunches as he thinks. “There was… a couple games ago I blocked a shot with my foot. Did the same thing last night.”  
The doctor nods, taking notes. “That would do it, son.”  
“Shit.” This can’t be happening right now.  
“What’s going on?” Tyson asks, barging into the room.  
“Sorry, we just couldn’t hold him out here any longer,” Ryan apologizes from behind the door.  
“Come in, Tyson.” The doctor motions Ty with his hand.  
Tyson waddles in, still in full gear. He puts a hand on Nate’s leg and the other on his neck. He kisses Nate’s forehead softly. Nate leans into each touch, happy that he’s here. “So, what’s up?”  
The doctor looks to Nate. Nate doesn’t want to say anything. He really doesn’t. So, he turns back to Tyson. “He has a possible hairline fracture.”  
“Seriously?”  
The doctor nods.   
“Fuck, man.”  
Nate nods, and leans into Ty’s space a little more.   
“I’ll order him an MRI. I assume you can get him to the hospital? There’s no reason for me to call an ambulance?”  
Tyson nods. “Of course.”  
The doctor smiles. “You better get changed and showered.”  
Ty nods. He kisses Nate’s head. “I’ll be right back.”  
“Can you bring some clothes for Nate back first?” the doctor asks.  
Tyson nods. “Of course.”  
“Ready to get out of that gear?” the doctor asks.  
Nate nods. “Fuck yes.” He gets out of his practice jersey and chest pads just fine. He’s also able to get his skate and one of his shin guards off without much trouble. The doctor helps him ease the other shin guard and his shorts off. He’s left in just his under armor, which isn’t fun, but much better than in all his gear. The doctor sits down at his computer, probably to send Nate’s MRI over to the hospital.  
He, thankfully, leaves the room when Tyson comes back with his other clothes. He’s a little peeved he doesn’t get a shower, but just the thought of standing on his foot to get to the car is torcher. He gets out of his under armor and into a sweatshirt. Getting his pants of is another story. Tyson helps him inch them down, but, Nate knows the pain is coming when he has to get the whole thing off his swelling foot. It does come. Nate has to keep himself from screaming in pain by biting his lip.   
“Hey, hey. It’s gonna be okay.” Tyson pulls Nate’s head to his chest. Nate buries his face in, trying to keep from crying. This really fucking sucks. “Can I help you get your sweats on now?” Tyson asks, once Nate’s calmed down a bit.  
Nate nods. He braces himself, but it’s not as bad as before. Tyson is gentle and is able to do it without moving his foot too much. He sighs when he’s able to sit back down. His relief is short lived unfortunately.   
“Nate, we gotta get to the car. I know it’s gonna suck.”  
Ty’s right. It is going to suck, but they’ve got to do it. He slides off the table, not putting any weight on his foot. Tyson supports his bad side, and they limp out to Tyson’s car together.   
The ride to the hospital is quiet. Nate doesn’t open his eyes at any point. He knows he’s out for the rest of the season. He’s just hoping he’ll be back in time for worlds. He and Tyson limp into the hospital. They’re told to sit and wait. Eventually a nurse comes with a wheelchair to take them away.  
Nate hates hospitals. They always seem cold a sterile, which he supposes, that’s how they’re supposed to be, but that doesn’t mean he has to like it. The nurse seems polite, and a little overly happy, that does nothing to put Nate at ease. Tyson is asked to stay outside the MRI room.  
Nate starts to protest, but Tyson just shakes his head. He doesn’t want to go through this alone, but he’s in the room before he can say anything.  
“Nathan, hello.” There’s a doctor sitting in front of a window to the MRI table and a ton of computers below it.  
“Hello.”  
“My name is Patrick Anderson. I’ll be making sure everything goes smoothly. How’s that sound?”   
Nate just sighs. “Can we get this over with?”  
Dr. Anderson nods. “Of course.” They wheel him into the room and help him onto the MRI table. He lays down, and suddenly he’s scared of the thing. He doesn’t want to go in it. It looks terrifying, even though it didn’t a minute ago. Before he knows what’s happening, he’s moving back into the machine and parts are spinning, and it look even scarier. But he wants to get this over with, he really does. He squeezes his eyes shut and tries to block out the loud whirring noise. It’s hard to do because it sounds like it’s in his skull. He doesn’t know how long he’s in there. It feels like hours. He knows it’s probably only minutes. But, finally, he’s moving out and the whirring stopped.   
“Do you want to wait for your reports with your friend?” the nurse asks.  
Nate nods. Of course he wants to be with Ty.   
“I’ll the results in just a moment,” Dr. Anderson tells Nate as he’s wheeled out.  
Nate nods, just wanting to be with Tyson right now. Tyson stands up as soon as he sees Nate.  
“So?” he asks.  
The nurse just smiles and parks Nate in front of Tyson’s chair. Ty sits back down. Nate waits until she’s gone before he says anything. “It was just the test. We’re waiting for the results.”  
Ty’s face falls a little. “I know you’re going to be okay.”  
Nate huffs. “Maybe. I’m still gonna miss a lot of games.”  
Ty shrugs. “I don’t care as long as you’re out on the ice with me again, eventually.”  
Nate smiles softly at Ty. He couldn’t imagine having anyone else with him right now. Ty leans forward and hugs Nate as best he can.  
“We’re going to figure this out.”  
Nate swallows, trying to get rid of the tears before Tyson sees them.   
“Hey,” Tyson says pulling away. Nate ducks to hide his face, but Ty cups his chin and lifts his head up. Ty gently wipes the tears off his cheeks. “It’s all gonna be okay. You hear me?”  
Nate nods.   
“Good.” Ty presses his forehead to Nate’s. It feels good. It feels calming.  
“Mr. Mackinnon?” Nate looks up at the nurse. “You’re MRI results are in.”  
“Can Tyson come?” he asks, softly as the nurse goes to wheel him in.  
“If you want.”  
Tyson pops up immediately, and follows them in. Dr. Anderson is sitting in front a bright screen showing a picture of Nate’s foot. Just from looking at it, he can tell it’s not good.   
“Ah, Nate. Who did you bring with you?”  
“Tyson Barrie,” he says holding out his hand to the doctor. “I’m his roommate.”  
The doctor shakes his hand smiling. “Wonderful. I assume you’ll be helping to take care of him then?”  
Ty nods. “Of course.”  
“Wonderful. Well, let’s get to it shall we?” Dr. Anderson points to a small point on the picture. “Here is one of the fractures. It’s small, but in a very painful spot in the foot. It should heal quickly, as long as you keep off your foot.” His finger moves to another spot. “This is a slightly bigger fracture. It shouldn’t take much longer to heal than the other.” He moves to the spot Nate had seen when they came. “This is where most of the problem lays as you can probably tell. There’s several small fractures around one break. It’s going to be the longest and most difficult to heal. This I will have set so that it heals properly.”  
Nate nods. This fucking sucks.  
“Does this all make sense to you boys?”  
Both Nate and Ty nod.   
“Great. Let’s move you to a room so we can get these bones set and you can get on your way.”  
Nate is wheeled away by the nurse. Tyson follows, and Nate can hear him talking on the phone. He updating the team doctor. Nate sighs. He’s glad he doesn’t have to do that.   
They get a private room to wait in. The nurse says Dr. Anderson will be in shortly. Tyson finishes his call and comes over to where the nurse helped Nate up onto the table. He wraps his arms around Nate’s neck and let’s their heads rest together. Nate takes deep breathes, just feeling Tyson all around him. It grounds him. It centers him. It takes the pain away. Tyson presses a kiss to his forehead before pulling away.   
He’s looking at Nate with this certainty and calm that Nate can’t do anything except feel the same. “We’re going to get through this, I promise.”  
There’s a few short raps on the door. Tyson sits in a chair against the wall as Dr. Anderson let’s himself in.   
“Hello, boys. How are we doing?”  
Ty looks at Nate. Neither know how to answer.  
Dr. Anderson chuckles. “I guess that answer it for me. So boys. I want to go over the aftercare now. A lot of this is for you, Tyson, since you’ll be watching out for him, but Nate, you need to pay attention too. This is your injury we’re talking about. Do you understand?”  
Both boys nod.   
“Alright. So, Nate, you’re going to be in a lot of pain after I reset that bone. You’ll be given a lot of morphine and we’re going to keep you here overnight. It’ll be mostly for observation. Tomorrow, Tyson can come pick you up and take you home. You’ll be in a cast for two weeks, at the least. I don’t want him doing much those two weeks, you understand? Maybe going outside for fresh air once, okay?”  
Tyson nods, glancing over at Nate to make sure Nate knows Tyson won’t let him slide on this.  
“You’re going to be on a lot of pain medication for a while. We don’t want you thinking you’re better and screwing it all up. Understand?”  
He waits for Nate to nod before continuing. “After those two weeks we’ll have you come back in a get a boot. You’ll be more mobile. By this time, those two small fractures I showed you should be healed and we just need to focus on healing that break.”  
Nate nods along with the doctor.   
“Once we’ve got you in the boot, we’ll start physical therapy, probably with the team. Your team physical therapist will help you with what you need to do. Our time frame to have you back healthy is 6-8 weeks, okay?”  
Nate nods.   
“Great. Tyson, we’ll get you some paperwork regarding the care of his cast and such. Meanwhile, Nate, you and I are going put this bone back together.”  
Nate’s breathing speeds up. He can’t do this. Ty’s leaving. He needs Ty with him.  
Both Dr. Anderson and Ty must sense his distress.  
“I’ll give you two a moment,” he says.  
The moment he steps outside, Ty is in front of him. “Hey, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.” Nate leans into Tyson chest, trying to calm down. Tyson cards his fingers through Nate’s hair. He kisses his head and bring his face up. “I’ll be back here tomorrow morning. You’re in good hands. They’re going to take care of you.”  
“I don’t want you to go, Ty. I don’t… I don’t think I can do this by myself.”  
“I know you can, babe. You can do it. I’ll be back first thing in the morning so we can go home.”  
Nate nods and a tear slips out. Tyson’s finger catches it before he kisses Nate. Nate leans into it, wanting more, wanting so much more.  
Tyson reluctantly pulls away. “See you tomorrow,” he whispers against Nate’s ear.   
Dr. Anderson comes back in when Tyson’s gone, along with a few nurses. “Alright Nate,” he says. “Let’s get you laid down.”  
He lays back on the table. Each of the nurses starts to poke and pinch him, or at least that’s what it feels like.  
“We’re going to give you some stuff to make you go to sleep, okay, Nate? When you wake up, this will all be over. Sound good?”  
Nate nods.   
Dr. Anderson puts a mask over Nate’s mouth and nose. “Count backwards from ten.”  
“Ten… nine… eight…” Somewhere between seven and eight, Nate falls asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! As always, comments are very much appreciated! Here's my [Tumblr](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/%22)


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's something soft and short because the Avs had a back-to-back and I can't write that fast guys! Hope you enjoy!

The light is bright. Nate closes his eyes to block it out. He feels next to him. Nothing’s there except a cold metal bar. Where is he?  
“Nate?”  
Nate takes a settling breath. Ty is here. He’s at the hospital. He remembers now. He finally opens his eyes. Tyson is leaning over him, smiling. “How ya feeling, babe?”  
“Tired.”  
Tyson’s smile only gets bigger. “You ready to go home?”  
Nate nods.  
“I’ll get the doctor. We’ll see what he says, but I think you’ll be able to go home today.”  
Nate smiles softly. His head lists back onto the pillow. He feels lose and languid. It’s nice. Tyson comes back in a moment later with the doctor.  
“Good morning, Nathan. How are you feeling?”  
Nate nods. “I’m feeling good.”  
“That’s good. All your charts look good, so a few more precautionary tests, and you’ll be on your way. Do you remember the instructions I gave you yesterday?”  
Nate scrunches his brow as he thinks. “Stay off my foot.”  
The doctor nods smiling. “Good. Let’s get you out of here, huh?”  
The doctor turns to say something to Tyson, but Nate can’t focus on it. The lights are too bright and he has to close his eyes again. He feels Tyson put a hand on his shoulder. Nate squints up at him.  
“You want to watch a movie when we get home?”  
Nate nods. “Can you make chili?”  
Tyson smiles. “Of course.” He brushes some hair off of Nate’s forehead and kisses it. He stays there, one hand in Nate’s, the other combing through Nate’s hair. It’s really soothing, and Nate’s having trouble staying awake by the time the doctor comes back.   
“Well, Nate, it looks like everything is good to go. You ready to go home?”  
Nate nods enthusiastically.   
“Alright. I’ll leave you guys alone until Tyson can get you dressed. We’ll check you out of here and you can go.” He smiles and leaves them to get ready.   
Tyson grabs a bag that’s been sitting on a chair. “I brought your sweats and a sweatshirt. Thought it’d be easy and you’d feel comfortable.”  
Nate nods. “Thank you.”   
Tyson grabs the clothes out of the bag and sets it on the bed. He rests his hands on Nate’s thighs. “Ready to do this?”  
Nate nods. Tyson grabs Nate’s legs underneath the thigh, and swings them slowly over the side of the bed. He grabs Nate’s forearms and helps him sit up. Tyson has to hold him while he gets his bearings. “You good?”  
Nate takes a second but nods.   
“You sure?”  
Nate nods more firmly this time. Tyson circles back around the bed and unlaces the hospital gown. Nate lets it drop off his arms. Tyson comes around and gently takes it off his lap. Nate is left in just his briefs from the game before. He can see the dark cast on his leg all the way to mid-calf. It’s hard to look at, knowing he’s going to be out for a while.   
“Sweats?”  
Nate looks up at Tyson who’s holding a pair of black sweats. Nate nods, and scoots to the edge of the bed. Tyson is careful in the way he puts the sweats on. He slides one leg over the good leg of Nate’s. Then, he carefully moves the other pant leg up Nate’s cast. Nate holds himself up for a few seconds so Tyson can get his sweats over Nate’s ass.  
It’s feels crazy domestic, and while it sucks that he’s out, he wouldn’t want it done any other way.  
Ty hands him the sweatshirt. Nate doesn’t realize it’s a Kelowna sweatshirt until it’s on. He smiles at Tyson. Nothing would make him happier. It’s a little small, but he doesn’t care at all. Tyson puts a sneaker on Nate’s foot and ties it for them.  
Tyson peeks out the door and a nurse comes in a moment later with a wheelchair. He balances on one foot as the nurse and Tyson get him into the chair. The nurse pushes Nate to check out, while Tyson follows behind with paperwork and the bag slung over his shoulder. The nurse stands idly by while Tyson does all the check out. Nate watches all the people in the waiting room. Most everyone has red eyes from crying. Nate’s glad that’s not Tyson. It could’ve been a lot worse. He knows that. He’s glad for that. Tyson tucks more paperwork under his arm and smiles at the woman in the window. He grabs two crutches from the counter and thanks the woman. Tyson follows Nate outside and the nurse is kind enough to wheel Nate all the way to Ty’s car.   
They thank her and Tyson helps Nate into the car. He tosses the paperwork, the crutches, and the bag into the back. Tyson leans across the console and kiss Nate. Nate feels Ty’s fingers tangle in his hair. He leans into the kiss and licks into Tyson’s mouth. This feels good. This feels familiar.   
“Ready to go home?” Ty says pulling away  
“More than you know.”  
Tyson just smiles and turns on the car.   
Nate feels more awake every mile they drive. He feels more alert and less fog in his head. It feels good. But, as that goes away, he becomes more aware of the pain in his foot. He rolls his shoulders, trying to take his focus off it. He turns on the radio to his favorite schedule.  
Tyson glances over, concerned.  
“Foot hurting?”  
Nate nods.   
“We have to stop at the pharmacy before we go home to get your pain meds. You can take one with dinner.”  
Nate nods, and forces himself not to groan and another flash of pain goes through his foot. He’s really struggling with the pain as they get to the pharmacy. Tyson can tell. He squeezes Nate’s thigh in the pharmacy drive-thru as they wait.   
Nate struggles through a breath, focusing on it rather than the pain. It’s something hockey has taught him. He’s just got to breathe through the pain. Nate puts his hand on top of Ty’s and tangles their fingers together. They only wait a few more minutes for the meds and they’re off towards home.   
Tyson gets out and hands Nate his crutches. Nate struggles to get them under his arms while he’s in the car. Tyson watches him carefully as he gets his good foot on the ground. Then, he rummages through the back of the car, grabbing the paperwork and the meds and the bag.   
They get up to the apartment without difficulty. It gives Nate a chance to test the crutches. He finds a rhythm quickly. It becomes easy after that. He collapses on the couch, leaning the crutches on the side. Tyson puts his stuff away, before shuffling around in the kitchen behind Nate. Nate turns on the TV. There’s a pregame on for the Penguins game. He props his foot up on the couch and puts a pillow behind his head. Nothing feels better than being back here. He can hear the sounds of Tyson cooking and he loves it.  
Tyson comes to sit with him when the chili is on the stove. He sits on the opposite end of the couch, propping Nate’s foot in his lap. He massages the calf muscles gently outside the cast. It quickly relaxes Nate, and he’s falling asleep to the sound of the Penguin’s game.   
When he wakes up, it’s because of the pain in his foot. It’s moved to his calf and it hurts. Tyson isn’t on the couch anymore. It sounds and smells like the chili is about ready which means Nate can have meds.  
Tyson brings two bowls of chili in and puts them on the coffee table. He goes back to get Gatorade bottles and Nate’s meds. Nate takes the pill with the Gatorade then digs into the chili. After the first bite, he has to throw his head back in ecstasy. It tastes so good. It tastes like home.   
“Good?” Tyson asks.  
“Is that even a question?” Nate takes another huge bite, dripping a little tomato onto the sweatshirt.   
Tyson giggles and kisses Nate’s toes, sticking out of his cast.  
“Ew, that’s gross. You’re eating.”  
“Yeah, and? What am I doing to you?”  
Nate screws up his face because that’s a dumb question.   
Tyson giggles, and then they can’t stop.  
By the time they finish eating, the NHL Network has moved onto analysis of the game. Tyson pulls Nate to him, making him prop his foot up on the other end of the couch. They stay there for a while before Tyson kisses Nate’s neck. They readjust so that they can lazily make out. It’s not sexual, but it’s comforting. It’s there. It’s soft. Nate doesn’t know how long they stay there, but he’s barely awake by the time Tyson sits them up. He doesn’t think he can walk on his crutches too bed so Tyson help him hobble on one foot. He collapses into bed, and Tyson undresses him as carefully as he put clothes on earlier.   
“Love you,” Nate mumbles, and he’s asleep between one breath and the next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always much appreciated and you can find me on Tumblr [here](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/)!


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's another fairly short one! Thanks to @thearkhamjoke on Tumblr for her amazing homemade chicken nuggets!

The next few weeks suck. Well, Tyson does take care of him, which is cute and sweet. Nate loves every second. He loves the food (he always loves Ty’s food.) Tyson is so careful with him. He helps Nate dress and shower. He props Nate’s foot up on the couch.   
At the end of his two weeks in a cast, the Avs go on a road trip. Nate’s not allowed to go. So, Jessy McLeod comes over. She makes him food and makes sure he takes his meds.   
“How ya doing?” she asks as she’s cooking.  
“I hate being away from them.”  
She nods. “I know the feeling.”  
Nate tries to keep from laughing, but the way she’s smiling at him is too much. They laugh together, and it’s nice. Emma is running around on her two-year-old legs; which Nate thinks it just too cute. Jessy keeps trying to rein her in, but Nate insists it’s okay.   
“Emma do you want to watch the game?” Nate calls from the couch. She squeals and runs toward him. She snuggles into his side as Jessy brings homemade chicken nuggets out.   
“They’re a little healthier so diet approved,” Jessy explains, “but still kid food enough for Emma.”  
Nate smiles, mouth full of chicken. “I don’t mind at all,” he says after he swallows.   
Jessy laughs, and Emma giggles with a half-eaten nugget in her hand.   
Then, the game is started, so almost all of Nate’s attention is on the screen in front of him. It’s a pretty back-and-forth game. They score first. Nate whoops and Emma glares at him for making her drop her chicken nugget. Nate ruffles her hair and hands her another. That’s all it takes to placate her.   
Then, about five minutes later, Cody takes a penalty.  
“Daddy’s going to timeout,” Emma giggles. Nate can’t help but giggle with her.   
He’s on the edge of his seat (as much as he can be with his foot propped up), until the Rangers score. He groans and sits back. Emma frowns at him and hands him another nugget. Nate can’t help the smile the breaks across his face, and of course he takes the nugget.   
The period ends tied. Jessy takes the dishes to the kitchen to clean, while Nate fends off Emma with honey mustard dripping down her front. She keeps trying to get near him and hug him. He is not about to be covered in honey mustard, take you very much. Somehow, he manages to stay clean until Jessy can come swipe her from him.   
“I’ll clean up the monster. Is it okay if I use your bathroom?”  
Nate nods. “Oh yeah, of course!”  
She smiles her thanks and takes a giggling Emma down the hall.   
Nate feels antsy, sitting by himself, listening to the commentators talk about the guys play. He should be out there with them, goddammit. They interview Cody and ask him about the hit. Emma comes running out when she hears her dad’s voice. She’s wearing only a pair of underwear and water is dripping down her front, where Jessy must have been cleaning her. She stands in front of the TV and watches her dad, before scampering back, giving a sheepish look to her mom standing in the doorway.  
“Sorry about that.”  
Nate shakes his head. “No worries. It was cute.”  
“I’ll just go finish cleaning her then.” Jessy smiles as she walks away.   
For some reason, it just makes Nate miss Tyson more. 

They come back from New York for one game. Nate is sleeping when Tyson gets home. He registers movement on the mattress.  
“Go back to sleep,” Tyson whispers as he starts to turn over. Nate hums in response and turns over.   
Tyson has an arm wrapped around Nate’s waist when he wakes up. His head is in the crock of Nate’s neck. Nate hates sleeping on his back, but he hasn’t had much of a choice with the dumb cast.   
He runs his fingers through the hair curling at the base of Ty’s neck. It’s good to have him here again. He was only gone for two days, but Nate missed him like crazy. He doesn’t know how the wives do it.   
Ty yawns and mouths at Nate’s neck. This is what he’s missed. The little nuances throughout the day that are distinctly Tyson. “Morning,” Ty mumbles.  
“Morning,” Nate whispers back.   
“What do you want for breakfast?”  
Nate shrugs, jostling Ty’s head a little. “Don’t care. You know what I like best anyway.” He kisses the top of Ty’s head. He knows it’ll be a few more minutes before Ty actually gets up. He was exempted from practice this morning because he’s taking Nate to the hospital to change from a cast to a boot, so Nate can move a little bit more. Nate knows he’s going to take as much time in bed as absolutely possible.   
He does, finally, sit up. He rubs his eyes and stretched. Nate smiles dumbly at the muss of Ty’s hair. Ty leans over to kiss Nate on the lips, softly, before getting up. Nate waits to hobble out on his crutches until he hears the sound of bacon frying on the stove.   
Tyson smiles when he sees Nate come in. “Pancakes and bacon, okay?”  
Nate nods. He takes an orange from the fruit bowl on the counter and starts peeling it.  
“How was last night with Jessy and Emma?” Tyson asks.  
“It was good. Jessy made her homemade chicken nuggets and Emma become a honey mustard that tried to attack me.  
Tyson chuckles. “Sound like a good night.”  
“I missed you, though.”  
Tyson nods, looking at sad as Nate feels. “I missed you too. Over the long road trip, we’ll call every night okay?”  
Nate nods. “It still sucks. I should be there with you.”  
Tyson shakes his head. “No, you should be here, getting well and resting.”  
Nate groans and rolls his eyes.  
“Nate, you know it’s important too. I want you there as much as you do, but you need to get better first. Please, don’t try and rush your recovery.”  
Nate grunts. “I wasn’t planning it. I just don’t like being away from you.”  
Tyson smiles softly. “I don’t like it either.” He serves up two plates and places them on the breakfast bar. He pours two glasses of orange juice before joining Nate. “Let’s just enjoy what we got for now, huh?” He kisses Nate’s cheek before digging into his food.  
Nate eats several bites, before Ty asks, “You excited to get your cast off?”  
Nate scoffs. “Of course. I can move around on my own. I can cook for myself…”  
Tyson gives him a look.  
“…If I wanted too?” Nate continues.  
Tyson shrugs. “If you want to burn down the building.”  
Nate punches Ty’s shoulder. “I would not burn down the building!” Nate exclaims.   
Ty chuckles. “No, but I’d be worried you would.”  
Nate scowls and takes another bite of pancakes, sopping with syrup.   
“I still want Jessy to come check on you. I don’t want anything to happen while we’re gone.”  
“I’m not five,” Nate whines.  
“I know babe. I just want you to have company, and it will make it so I worry less.”  
Nate sighs. “Fine. For you.”

Tyson helps Nate to the car. He’s mostly just walking next to Nate, watching him like a hawk. The drive to the hospital is short, but their wait in the lobby is longer.  
“I hate hospitals,” Nate mutters.  
Tyson chuckles under his breath. “Me too, man.”  
A nurse leads them back to a private room and tells them to wait some more. Nate wants to slam his head against a wall.   
Dr. Anderson comes in ten minutes later. “Hello boys. How are you doing, Nathan?”  
“Pretty good, sir. Ready to get out of the cast.”  
Dr. Anderson nods. “I’m sure son. Let me check some things to see how you’re doing.” He taps different places on Nate’s leg, righting things down occasionally.   
“Alright, everything looks good. We’re going to take you to a room to get that things cut off, then we can get your boot on you. How’s that sound?”  
“Great.”  
“Tyson, if you could just stay here for me. We’ll be back in just a bit.”  
Tyson nods, with a tight lipped smile.   
Dr. Anderson and a nurse wheel, Nate out of the room and down to another. They get him onto a bed. It’s kind of scary, because they have to cut off the cast with a saw. It’s really terrifying actually. Nate keeps his eyes closed, but the sound is inescapable. But a few long minutes later, he can feel air on his foot again.   
It’s red, and trying to swell still. But, it’s there. It’s healing.   
It’s a quick process to get the foot wrapped and into a boot. They wheel him back to the private room where Tyson is waiting, playing a game on his phone.  
“Alright. Do you want to try and walk?” Dr. Anderson asks.  
Nate nods adamantly. Tyson stands in front of Nate and offers his hands. Nate takes them and carefully stands. He puts most of his weight on his good foot, unsure of how the boot will work. He gently puts pressure on it and takes a step. It presses in weird ways, but it’s not painful, or really uncomfortable. Just weird. He takes another step. The boot is clunky and heavy to walk it, but he’d rather walk in the boot, than hobble on crutches.  
“How does it feel?” Dr. Anderson asks.  
Nate nods. “Different, but I’ll get used to it.”  
“Great. Now things are, obviously, slightly different with the boot, so some of the care is too. I want both of you to pay attention, so you know what to do.”  
Both Nate and Ty nod. They sit down in chairs next to each other.  
“So, the boot and wrap will have to come completely off to shower, but you still can’t put weight on your bare foot, so showering is generally a two-person job, even if the second person just stands outside the bathroom to make sure you don’t fall.”  
Nate groans. Ty stifles a laugh. With Tyson leaving in two days after the game tomorrow, that means Jessy will have to be around while he’s taking a shower and that’s fucking embarrassing.   
“I know it’s a hassle,” Dr. Anderson continues. “You’ll need to replace the wrap on your foot twice a week. Generally, you can do that yourself, Nathan, but sometimes it’s easier with help, especially the first few times you do it. Washing the boot is up to you. If you do wash the boot, use a damp clothes, no soap.”  
Nate and Ty both nod along with the rest.  
When Dr. Anderson is finished, he hands Tyson more paperwork, and they are free to head to check out. Walking is still a little weird, but they manage at a slow, lopsided pace.  
“This is gonna suck,” Nate mutters.  
Tyson wraps an arm around Nate’s shoulders. “You’ll be fine. We can put a stool in the shower so you can sit.”  
Nate groans again. “I guess that’s a little better.”

Nate sits in the press box the next night for the game. It sucks not to be on the bench, but he’s happy to be rooting them on from the Pepsi center. Getting into his suit pants was and issue. They definitely aren’t big enough to go over his boot, but they can’t go in the boot either. That left leaving the one leg bunched above the boot at mid-calf. He got hard core chirped by Landeskog, the fashion police of the team, and part time captain, really.   
Tyson gives him a stellar blowjob when they get home after the win, in celebration and in good-bye. Nate hates that he can’t reciprocate, but Tyson just jerks himself twice before coming messily onto Nate’s stomach. It takes a few minutes before Tyson has the energy to get a washcloth to clean Nate off, but does eventually.   
Nate likes the sight when he returns. He’s flushed down to his chest. His ears are more pink than anywhere, except maybe his lips. His lips… his lips are red and puffy, and Ty just can’t stop licking them.  
He kisses Nate when they’re both fairly clean.   
“I’m sorry I can’t be here while you’re getting used to your boot,” Ty whispers as they curl up in bed.  
“Just go win for me then,” Nate whispers back.  
Tyson giggles and kisses the underside of Nate’s jaw. “Alright sounds good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! If you did, please leave a comment! You can also find me on Tumblr [here](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/)


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is mostly porn and fairly short. I promise a somewhat longer update on Thursday, and actual plot! Hope you enjoy!

Nate wakes up to an empty bed. The clock is saying it’s approaching afternoon, which means Ty left a while ago. He sighs and sits up. Sleeping with just the wrap is better and worse than the cast. With the cast, at least he knew he wasn’t going to accidently injure himself if he rolled over. But, with the wrap, his foot can breathe a little easier. It makes for less restless nights and less rolling over anyway. He slides his legs off the side of the bed to get it back in the boot.   
The apartment is quiet when he walks out. He wasn’t expecting anything else, but it’s kind of sad. Nate stands in front of the counter, trying to decide what to make for breakfast for way too long. Ty was right. Nate’s a rotten cook, and he hates making food (which probably is the reason for the former.) He finally just puts a couple piece of bread in the toaster and heats up leftover bacon in the microwave. He pours a glass of orange juice and dumps half a box of strawberries on his plate. He eats slowly, wishing for music. He could just turn some on his phone, but that doesn’t seem right, for some reason. Because Tyson not only DJs in the locker room, he DJs at home too.   
He wanders around his apartment for a few minutes before he finally gives up and calls Jessy. “I’m so bored. What do you guys do? Please.”  
Jessy laughs. “I’ll pick Emma up from preschool and bring her over. We’ll get rid of your boredom. No worries, honey.”  
“Thanks Jessy,” Nate sighs.   
“I’ll be over in an hour.”  
“Alright see ya then.” Nate hangs up and goes back to his bedroom. He grabs a book that he’s been trying to read. He actually gets into it by the time Jessy is knocking on his door. He uses a stray piece of paper for a bookmark and opens the door for Jessy and Emma.   
Emma runs in squealing. Jessy comes in with a large bag, smiling. “How are you, Nate?”   
“Bored. Tired. Missing Ty.”  
Her smile turns sympathetic. “I understand. I brought some stuff for Emma to play with. We can talk and figure out some stuff you can do so you’re not bored, but also not hurting yourself. Sound good?”  
Nate nods. “That’s great.” He moves to the couch while Jessy gets Emma set up in the living room with some toys.   
“So,” she says sitting down next to him. “What do you generally do on your day off?”  
Nate thinks for a second. “Play video games with Ty.”  
Jessy nods. “Okay, so that’s something you could do. You can read. You should probably take a few naps, since you are trying to heal,” she says motioning to his foot.  
“What do you do when we’re gone?” Nate asks, in an effort to take attention off his injury.   
“I get stuff done around the house. I craft. I watch a little TV. I take care of Emma.”  
Right. She has a kid to take care of. She doesn’t just have nothing in an empty apartment.   
“Hey, you’ll find something. Plus, it’s not like you’re here for the rest of your life or anything. You’ve just got a couple of slow weeks. We can stay here today. Emma looks pretty enthralled.”  
Nate looks over at her. She’s playing diligently and intently. Nate smiles, happy to have them here.   
“Do you mind if I turn on the TV? I’m working on remolding the basement.”  
Nate shrugs. “Of course.”   
He goes and gets his book. Back in the living room, Jessy’s got a spread of magazine clippings and her laptop open to Pinterest. He settles next to her on the couch. She turns on HGTV. It’s nice. It’s comfortable, but normal. Nate kind of likes it. He likes being able to hear Emma play, the background noise of the TV. He imagines his life after he’s retired. He hopes it looks like this. Tyson next to him on the couch, maybe in the kitchen cooking. Their child playing on the floor. It’s so easy to see. Nate has to keep his mind focused on the book in front of him, instead of imagine his whole life with Ty.   
The week without them is hard. But, Ty comes home. The first thing he does is straddle Nate’s lap (he was sitting on the couch reading) and kisses him hard. Nate cradles the back of Ty’s head and pulls him deeper. Tyson licks Nate’s lower lip, asking permission. Nate gives it to him, opens his mouth and lets Tyson’s tongue invade. The slip and slide of tongues in his mouth feels so good. He’s missed Tyson, and god dammit he’s missed this.   
Tyson pulls back and nips Nate’s lip before he kisses just under Nate’s ear. Nate whines as Ty starts sucking a small bruise. Nate breathes hard as Tyson pulls on his ear with his teeth, starting to harden in his sweats. He palms Tyson’s ass, wanting more. He grinds his hips up and Tyson lets his hand grip Nate from outside the sweats.   
“Please, fuck. Need you,” Nate pants.  
Tyson kisses him and gets a hand actually down Nate’s pants. He rubs at the head, so Nate thrusts into it, trying to get more friction. It feels so good to have Tyson on top of him again. Ty’s hand is a little dry, slicked only by Nate’s precome. He kisses Nate hard as he moves his hand down Nate’s shaft. Nate pants into Tyson’s mouth, and nips at Tyson’s lips as he grips a little tight. Nate likes tight, but not quite this dry.   
Ty takes his hand off Nate’s dick and Nate whines at the lack of contact. He’s painfully hard, not having any kind of action since he broke his foot. Tyson runs his hands under Nate’s shirt, feeling Nate’s fast breathing. He lifts Nate’s shirt off. Nate’s nipple pebble at the cold. Ty smiles and rolls them between his fingers, causing Nate to gasp and lift his hips. Ty presses a kiss to Nate’s jaw, tracing his way back down to Nate’s dick, where he rubs over the head, slicking up his hand a little.   
He leans in to Nate’s ear a whispers, “Let me do all the work, promise?”  
Nate nods in response, eyes not able to leaving the enchanting sight of Ty working is dick. Ty has to stop to pull Nate’s sweats down his ass to his knees. It’s truly a sight. Nate’s red dick is leaking against his bare stomach, his pants still on but only at the knees.   
Tyson settles himself above Nate on his knees. He wiggles his eyebrows at him, smirking, before lifting his own shirt off. He tosses it off to the side, with Nate’s own, he suspects. Ty has to stand, unfortunately, to get his pants off, but he’s back over Nate before long. Nate runs his hands over Tyson’s beautiful body working from front to back and down. He loves the feel of the skin in his hands as he cups Tyson’s ass his hands. He doesen’t know what Tyson is fishing around for, until he comes up with a bottle of lube.  
Nate’s eyes go wide. “How long has that been there?”  
Ty shrugs. “A while,” he says casually lubing up Nate’s dick. Nate has trouble focusing on the next words that come out of Ty’s mouth with the sight in front of him and the feel of Ty’s warm slick hand on him. “I put it there figuring we’d need it eventually. Looks like I was right.” He closes the bottle with a snick and tosses it off somewhere, probably with the intent to put it back in case they do something like this again.   
“Holy shit,” Nate moans and Ty reaches around himself to finger at his hole. “You need me to do that?” His voice is breathing and uneven.   
Ty shakes his head. “I told you. Let me do all the work, today.”  
Nate nods, shakily as Tyson sits above him fingering himself open. His face scrunches up beautifully as he tries to get deeper with more fingers.   
He finally grabs at Nate’s dick, lining it up to his hole. He slides down slowly, all the way down until he’s sitting in Nate’s lap. “Fuuuuck,” he breathes. He waits a few beats. Nate is breathing hard, gripping Ty’s upper arms, because holy shit that feels so good. He hasn’t felt anything so great in such a long time. It’s the perfect heat and tightness. It makes him groan and drop his head onto Ty’s shoulder.   
One more moment and Ty is lifting himself off Nate’s dick just to slide back down. Nate clutches at Ty’s arms, trying to hold onto something so he doesn’t move. Ty doesn’t want his help to day. Nate is happy to oblige but it’s fucking hard when all he wants to do is thrust his hips up to meet Tyson.   
It isn’t long before Ty is bouncing on Nate’s lap. “How’s that babe?” he pants as he moves. “Just how you like, huh? I knew you’d love it.”  
Nate breathes out long and hard. He doesn’t want to come yet. He wants to watch Ty get closer and closer to the edge. His thighs are already shaking. He helps Tyson a little, trying to lift him a little so there’s less fatigue to his muscles. Tyson drops his head onto Nate’s shoulder and breathes, “I’m close, babe. I’m so fucking close.”  
“Me too. I want to come and fill you. Want to shove it back in if it starts to drip out,” Nate murmers.   
Tyson groans, his rhythm starting to stutter.  
“You’ll feel me hot and deep inside you, because you’re mine babe. All mine.”  
Tyson cries out, back arching and comes in spurts against Nate’s stomach. Nate follows him over the edge, pumping gently into Ty. He falls against Nate, limp and exhausted. Nate wraps his arms around him. They stay like that until Nate starts to soften inside Ty and they can both feel Nate’s come dripping out of him.   
“That was incredible, babe,” Nate whispers, and kisses Tyson softly.   
Ty smiles, eyes closed because he’s probably not only exhausted from that amazing sex, but from the plane ride back from Ottawa.   
“Babe, I can’t carry you. I would, but I don’t wanna hurt my foot.”  
Ty nods and sits up. They both wince when Ty stands, letting Nate’s dick fall from him. Ty wanders back to their bedroom and Nate hears the shower start. He gets up, careful of how he distributes his weight. He sits on the toilet to get his boot off and joins Ty in the shower.,  
He's too exhausted to do anything, so Nate helps Ty clean himself, so they can both go to bed. They curl up together, Nate being mindful of his foot while he still can. He presses a kiss to Ty’s wet curls before they drift off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come tumble with me [here](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/) and feel free to send me prompts! I want more stuff to write! I'm about done with my other two side fics from this one so I need more stuff to write! Thanks for reading! Comments always appreciated!


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really do apologize for all the short chapters. I'm going to try and do Worlds in a chapter so it should be longer! Love you all! Hope you enjoy!

“Wanna go to a basketball game?”  
Nate looks up from what he’s reading to where Tyson is cooking. (He’s always cooking.) “Uh, yeah. What made you think that?”  
Ty shrugs. “Just thought it would be fun.”  
“Like as date?” Nate asks, wiggling his eyebrows.   
Tyson blushes, but nods. “Yeah. There’s a Nuggets game tomorrow. I thought it would be fun and a great way to get you out of the house for a while.”  
“That sounds amazing.” Nate stands carefully and hobbles over to Tyson in the kitchen. As long as he’s been in this damn boot, he’s still no good at walking in it.   
The next day, they go to the game with court side tickets. It’s weird walking into the Pepsi center set up for sports, but not playing. Ty makes it a feel like a real date, even though they’re only best friends in public. He takes Nate to the bar on the ground floor before the game, where they have dinner and drinks. It could be any other night, out with the guys while they got left at the table. Except on those nights, Nate and Ty are sitting against each other in the booth, with everyone’s dirty plates around them. Ty pays for the meal, even though Nate insists on it.   
As they’re leaving, Tyson whispers, “It wouldn’t be a real date if you paid for part of it.”  
It makes Nate blush a little. He hides it with a cough and a laugh. He scratches his cheek as Ty smiles broadly at him.   
Nate wants to sit to close to Tyson to really be bros. Eventually, someone catches an awkward photo of Nate resting his knee of his bad leg against Ty’s. They both look weird and out of place, but Nate thinks it’s cute and posts it to Instagram with the caption “Nuggets game with @tbarrie4”. Ty rolls his eyes, but like the photo anyway.   
“Can I take you home tonight?” Tyson whispers as the buzzer runs down.  
Nate smiles and turns to him. “Of course.”  
Tyson’s tongue darts out to wet his lips as he looks at Nate. They cheer with the rest of the crowd as the Nuggets win. They stay seated for a while, to make it easier for Nate to get out. A decent chunk of the crowd is gone before they start out to their car. It’s weird to park in the crowd parking, rather than player parking. But, they get VIP anyway. It makes getting out and getting home that much easier. Tyson keeps one hand on the wheel and the other high on Nate’s thigh, gently rubbing against the inseam of Nate’s jeans. Nate has to keep clenching his fists to keep from swatting at Ty. (He is driving after all.) But, he’s painfully hard, his dick rubbing against the zipper. He almost certain he’s going blow a load before they get home, like the teenager he’s almost not anymore.   
Nate slams Tyson against the door as soon as they make it back to the apartment. “Fucking fuck,” Nate breathes before mashing their lips together. It stalls the chuckle in Tyson’s mouth and turns it to a deep groan. Nate digs one hand into Ty’s curls and gropes at Ty’s front, still covered by pants.  
“Why do we even wear pants?” Nate groans, struggling one handed with Ty’s zipper. Tyson laughs. He trails his hands down Nate’s back as he struggles. He gets his hands down the back of Nate’s jeans. Nate has to pay even more attention to what he’s doing, when Tyson squeezes handfuls of his ass.  
“Fuck, Ty.”  
Ty hums. He leans in kisses Nate’s neck. Kisses turn to sucking when Nate finally gets Ty’s dick out. He palms it gently, getting it to full erection. Ty groans when Nate finally slides his hand down the shaft. He thrusts up, only to fall back, pounding against the door.  
Nate laughs. “Maybe we should move this to the bedroom.”  
Ty nods, a little out of breath. By the time they make it back to the bedroom, Nate’s lost his shirt, and Ty’s lost his pants and briefs.   
“Between the two of us, we make one naked human,” Nate giggles, laying back.  
Ty scoffs. “We should be two naked humans.” He crawls over Nate, gently removing his boot and placing it next to the bed. He helps Nate wiggle out of his jeans. Hs foot is basically fine now. Ty insisted that he keep his boot on an extra week to be sure before the docs cleared him. Even then, Nate’s promised not to go back for the last three games of the season, instead, focusing on PT and training for Worlds. Ty straddles Nate and strips his own shirt, and they’re, finally, both naked.   
Nate smiles up at him, gliding his hands along Ty’s thighs. He’s so built, so strong on top of him. His hands make their way back to Ty’s ass, where he finds something nestled between Ty’s cheeks. His eyes go wide. “Is that…?”  
Ty nods, smirking. “I’m gonna ride you good tonight babe.”  
Nate plays with the plug a little before pulling it out. It comes out dripping with lube. Nate pulls on the ring of muscle, loving how Ty’s face screws up and his dick twitches and drips.   
Ty lines himself up and sinks down onto Nate. Nate holds onto Ty’s hips, unable to do anything else really. He breathes hard, trying not to come instantly, with all that teasing Ty did in the car. Ty takes a moment, completely sheathed over Nate. He sets his hands on Nate’s arms and starts to move.   
“Holy shit, Ty. That’s so good. You feel so fucking good,” Nate babbles as Ty picks up speed. Ty leans down and kisses Nate hard as he comes, biting Nate’s lip hard enough to sting, and probably leave a small purple mark. Nate follows him right over the edge, not able to hold off any longer.   
Ty collapses onto Nate. “Give me a second then we can go round two.” Ty presses a sweet kiss to Nate’s lips before tucking his head under Nate’s.   
Nate chuckles and cards through Ty’s sweaty curls. He kisses Ty’s forehead. “I love you.”  
“I love you too,” Ty murmurs.   
There’s only long Nate can stand to lay in drying come. Ty helps him into the shower and presses him against the wall so he can kiss Nate. They make pout slowly, as Ty pulls gently on Nate’s dick. It doesn’t take long for Nate to get hard. (Remember is still is actually a teenager.) Ty takes a little longer but not much.   
“Will you fall if I blow you?” Ty asks.  
Nate shakes his head. “My foot’s fine Ty.”  
Ty rolls his eyes, but drops to his knees. Nate doesn’t even want to think about the pain of being on his knees in the shower, but he forgets everything as soon as Ty gets his mouth on him. He gasps as Ty works him with his tongue. He looks down and can see Tyson stroke himself as he bobs on Nate. The water is hot and drenching Ty’s curls that Nate loves so much. He gets his hands in the, planting his feet and pressing his back against the wall. He has to force himself not to thrust because with all the water he probably will fall and not because of his supposedly broken foot.   
He's coming before he knows it, sagging against the wall. Ty swallows wiping a stray drop from his lip and then he’s coming himself, still on the ground. Nate pulls him up and kisses him because he can’t think of anything else to do. It takes a minute, but Ty kisses back. They stay like that for a while before they get to cleaning. They clean each other, wiping soap of from backs and arms. Ty tips his head back for Nate to scrub out the shampoo. 

Nate watches the next three games from the box, out of boot. He goes through the PT and Ty’s nagging knowing that Worlds is around the corner. That’s his goal: a wonderful hockey vacation with his boyfriend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Tumblr](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/) Come talk to me, ask me questions! Comments always appricated!!


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a long chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Matt convinces them to come on a hiking trip with him a few days before they’re set to leave for Worlds. It’ll be a good chance to get out of the house since Nate has been so focused on PT and training to make sure he’s in top condition for Worlds.   
Matt brings Paisley and Gabe and his dog Zoey, because apparently they were invited too.  
“Who invited the Swede?” Ty jokes.   
“Hey, the Swede invited you. You better keep your mouth shut,” Gabe says as he clicks a leash onto Zoey’s collar.   
“I still don’t know how you get away with owning a Pitbull in the city,” Nate says  
“Her papers say she’s a bulldog, isn’t that right baby?” Gabe coos, letting Zoey lick his face.   
“She doesn’t even look part bulldog,” Matt grumbles.  
“No one really knows the difference even with all the laws and shit.” He scratches behind Zoey’s ear. “We gonna go or what?” he asks.  
They all head off into the mountains, on a trail Matt insisted was the best. It is a beautiful hike through some mountains and into a really gorgeous valley. Matt and Gabe toss sticks for their dogs to chase, while Ty and Nate video tape.   
Gabe insists on a photo shoot. “The landscape is too gorgeous. Besides, you two need engagement photos.”  
Nate blushes down to his neck, and Ty about fights Gabe, jokingly of course. He does take a few good photos. On the drive back, once the dogs exhausted themselves, and Gabe wanted to get back to Mel, Nate edits one of the photos into black and white and posts it on Instagram with the caption “#weoutthere @tbarrie4”. He can’t help but look over at Tyson and wonder how he got so lucky. He rests his hand on Ty’s on the center console, and Ty laces their fingers together. Yeah, it was a good day.   
Ty and Nate are packing for Worlds. It’s so incredible. They’re going to Worlds together. Nate starts dancing and singing. It makes Ty smile brightly as he puts another shirt in his suitcase.   
“I can’t believe we leave for Worlds tomorrow!” Nate exclaims.  
Ty smiles and wraps his arms around Nate to bring him in for a kiss. “I know. It’s crazy.” He kisses Nate one more time before they continue packing.   
They leave on the April 30th to give them a day in Prague before the tournament starts, meet the teammates and such. DIA is pretty terrible as it always seems to be at five o’clock on a Thursday. They check their bags and make it through security with about an hour to spare. Nate’s glad they paid for the lounge. They sit in the United VIP Lounge drinking alcohol way too early and munching on a small lunch.   
“I can’t believe the Penguins got knocked out of the playoffs,” Ty says, shaking his head at his phone.  
“That means we get to play with Sid,” Nate says happily.  
Ty scowls, but doesn’t say anything.  
“What? Do you not like Sid?” Nate asks, poking Ty’s shoulder. It jostles Ty’s phone out of his hand. Luckily, it just falls into his lap.  
Ty shrugs. “I don’t know what to think.” He doesn’t elaborate further, so Nate doesn’t push. He wants so badly to lean on Ty’s shoulder and rest. He doesn’t really get to. They are in public after all, even if it is a VIP lounge. Tyson does keep a hold of Nate’s hand under a jacket, while he scrolls through Facebook.   
“I’ll be right back,” Nate says standing up. They still have thirty minutes until they board, and Nate wants candy. Tyson nods, giving him a small smile as he goes.   
It’s not until Nate is in a general airline store does he think to ask if Ty wants anything. He texts Ty his question and browses the candy as he waits. He ends up with Twizzlers for himself and some chocolate for Ty. He grabs two bottles of water too. Flying is dehydrating.   
Back in the lounge, he shoves his candy and water into his bag as the announcements are just beginning to be made.   
He and Tyson get a row to themselves in first class with comfy seats and all kinds of other perks. They settle in for a long flight to DC then another long flight to Prague.   
“I hate this,” Nate murmurs to Ty. Long flights have never been Nate’s thing.   
“I know.” Ty looks around before pressing a quick kiss to the side of Nate’s head. The captain goes through the announcements and safety procedures. Both Ty and Nate tune them out. They’ve heard these so many times, they could probably give them themselves.   
After takeoff, Nate eats a few Twizzlers, takes a few sips of water, and passes out on Tyson’s shoulder. It’s the best way of dealing with flights that Nate’s found. Tyson pokes him awake as they’re landing in DC. He leans over Ty’s lap to look at the Washington Memorial. He generally can’t see it because they generally fly at night. It looks so small from up here, but he knows it’s so much bigger, so tall. Enormously tall.   
They have a short layover in DC, not long enough to do anything except get food to go. The international airlines first class has beds, like legit small beds. Nate smirks, wiggling his eyebrows at Ty.  
Tyson chuckles. “You eat before you sleep.”  
Nate’s nose scrunches up. “Who are you? My mother?”  
Ty shakes his head and leans in to whisper, “No, I’m your boyfriend.”  
Nate smiles, blushing and looking down at his hands. Nate eats while the captain talks. He can’t go to sleep right away. They have to wait until they’re at altitude. But, once they’re up, Nate lays down, says good night to Tyson and goes to sleep. It’s not the most comfortable bed, but it’s more comfortable than sleeping sitting up, leaning on Tyson’s shoulder. (No offence, Ty.)   
He sleeps for a long time, and he’s rested when the plane lands in Prague. Tyson is a little groggy, but they get their bags and go to their hotel room. There’s still a few hours left in the night before they have to be up mingling with the team before competition starts. They have practice later as well. Tyson and Nate find two beds in their room. They put their suitcases on one, and collapse together on the other. Tyson strips out of his clothes, still laying on the bed. Nate actually stands up to do it. They snuggle together under the blanket. Nate turns on the TV so he can at least feel a little sleepy because he slept all day. Tyson wraps around himself around Nate’s side, resting his head on Nate’s stomach. He’s asleep quickly, while Nate watches quite TV in Czech. He eventually turns it off and curls up with Tyson’s head on his chest. 

The next morning, well like five hours later, Tyson and Nate get up. They take turns in the shower, knowing they have to get out for breakfast with the team. They dress casually, in jeans and soft shirts.   
Matt catches up with them by the elevator. “O’Rielly’s here somewhere, but honestly, he’s probably still sleeping.”  
Nate breaks out laughing and has to hold onto Ty in the elevator to stay standing.   
“Damn, you get enough sleep, Mackinnon?” Matt asks.  
“I got more than enough sleep.”  
Matt raises his eyebrows like that explains it.   
A bunch of guys are just hanging in the hotel lobby waiting to walk over to breakfast together. Nate sees Sid and runs over to hug him.   
“Hey man! Sorry about the playoffs,” Nate says.  
Sid hugs back, slapping Nate’s back. “Ah, don’t worry about him, man. There’s always next year.”  
“We ready to head down?” Segs says, hoping up beside a scowling Tyson.  
Nate nods, glancing from Sid to Matt to Ty. “I think so.”  
“You’re just hungry,” Sid teases.  
Nate giggles. “You know it.”  
“You have always eaten like a teenager,” Sid says as they start walking.   
“Well, I only ate as much as you.”  
“Jesus, you must’ve been a huge kid!” Segs exclaims.  
“Nah. He followed the same training as me.”  
“How old were you? Ten?” Segs asked, exasperated.  
Nate shrugs. “Just looked up to the big brother and did what he did.”  
Segs shakes his head. “That’s crazy. You’re crazy. Both of you,” he says looking between Sid and Nate.  
They’re seated at the diner. Ty makes a point to drop into the seat next to Nate. Nate rolls his eyes, but grabs Ty’s hand under the table. It seems to settle him for a bit, even if Nate catches him glaring at Sid every now and again.   
Nate orders eggs and sausage but when Tyson’s plate of pancakes and sausage gets set down, Nate knows that he’s going to be stealing so many bites of pancakes. He steals the first when Tyson is distracted by arguing with Segs about something. He turns and glares at Nate as he happily chews pancake. He steals his second bite when Sid distracts him minutes later.  
“Seriously?” Ty whines, looking at Nate. “This is getting ridiculous. If you wanted pancakes, you should’ve order them yourself.”  
“But, I didn’t want that many. Plus, they taste better when they’re yours.” They stare at each other for a minute, but Nate knows he’s won. He’d won before they started.   
Tyson sighs. “Fine, but like, don’t eat my whole plate.”  
“Like I could,” Nate scoffs.  
Ty gives him a look.  
“I’ve seen you eat that much food, Kid,” Sid says, smiling at them.  
Nate rolls his eyes.   
“I mean, come on, Mac, you’re what still nineteen? You could totally eat that much food,” Segs exclaims.   
“You’re not helping me here,” Nate hisses.   
“Is anything really going to stop you anyway?” Ty asks.  
Nate pretends to think about, but shakes his head, putting another sausage in his mouth.  
“It’s not like I can stop you,” Ty sighs.  
So that’s how breakfast continues, with Nate stealing bites of pancakes off Ty’s plate while they talk. Segs laughs every time he does, and Sid gives him a knowing look.   
They walk back to the hotel together. Nate doesn’t think much of Ty walking between him and Sid. He just occasionally brushes his hand across Ty’s and talks across him to Sid.   
They’re all back down in the lobby, changed and ready for practice. The rest of the team in mingling down there too. Matt and Ryan are talking, so naturally that’s where Nate and Ty gravitate toward. The team clambers on the bus when it pulls up in front of the hotel. Nate plops down next to Ty, like anything else was expected.   
Practice is good. It’s fun to get to play with Sid again. All the guys are great and things look good for the tournament.   
“Let’s go out,” Ty says as they’re waiting for the bus to get going.”  
“What do you mean?” Nate asks.  
“Let’s go get lunch and explore Prague.”  
Nate smiles, curiously, at Ty. “Okay, sounds fun.”

They walk somewhere for lunch, after showering and changing. They have to sneak past Segs and Eakins in the lobby, to make sure they’ve got time for themselves. It’s a nice little place. Nate thinks Ty saw it on their walk back from breakfast.   
It’s a nice, small place and out of the way.   
“Why don’t you like Sid?” Nate asks as they’re finishing their meal.  
Ty’s brow furrows. “Why do you think I don’t like him?” He upends his beer.  
“You just don’t seem to like him, is all,” Nate says.   
Ty shrugs. “I’m fine with him.”  
Nate eyes Ty for a minute before saying, “Okay.”  
Ty pays the bill, after fighting about it with Nate for a few minutes. They take a cab deeper into Prague. There is so much beautiful architecture. They walk around just staring at the buildings, until Ty picks up a guide. They go in the St. Vitus Cathedral. They go to the Prague castle, and that’s where they spend the rest of their time before team dinner. Nate absolutely loves the castle. He has to look at every little detail. It’s so fascinating. Ty follows behind, smiling at everything Nate does, because it’s too cute.  
“Thank you. This was fun,” Nate says.  
Ty nods. “I figured we won’t have a ton of time once games start.”  
Nate nods too.   
They have the cab driver drop them off at the restaurant where they’re having dinner. Coach talks to them at dinner, laying out the expectations of the tournament and how honored he is to work with such a talent group of players, ect.   
Sid makes a captain speech about how proud he is of this group of guys and that he’s proud to represent Canada with them, which of course brings about a lot of cheering.   
Then, Segs stands up. “We’re Canadian and goddamnit! We’re gonna win this thing!”  
The whole group of guys hollers and clinks glasses together for the fantastic toast. They eat way too much food and drink way too much alcohol with a game the next day. But, it makes it easy for Ty and Nate to collapse in bed and fall asleep tangled in each other.   
They play Latvia that afternoon. Nate get the first goal. It’s really incredible to knock one early in the first. Tyson smiles at him as he sits down afterwards. Nate’s out on the play that Spezza scores on. He gets an assist. All the guys tap his helmet and congratulate Spezza before the go off to collect fist bumps. Nate scream a little too loud for Matt goal that Ty has an assist on. Overall, it’s a good first period.   
They knock two more in the second. Nate has an assist on Spezza second goal, with Sid as the second apple. It’s a crazy feeling, going into the locker room up five to nothing.  
Latvia comes out fiery, but desperate. They take a few too many penalties, none of which result in penalties though. Latvia gets a goal about halfway through, but it doesn’t feel like anything to Nate. They still have four points on them with half a period to go. With two minutes left, Sid gets a breakaway chance. Nate skates after him and watches him get pulled down by Burkats. Nate yells, but the ref saw it a blew his whistle. Sid gets a penalty shot, and scores. It’s a nice win. Easy and a great way to start off the tournament.   
They celebrate with dinner with the team and sex back in the hotel room.  
They have practice the following day. After, Sid says he’s going to watch the Russian game. Nate rolls his eyes.   
“I’m just supporting my friend and teammate,” Sid says in his defense.  
Nate nods. “Uh huh. Sure. You never did tell me about that date.”  
Sid blushes. “Maybe after dinner.”  
Nate smiles. “Alright. You better. I bought you those fucking tickets.”  
Sid nods. “I know.”  
“That means I deserve to know!” Nate says punching Sid in the shoulder.   
“Whatever,” Sid scoffs, but he’s still blushing and smiling down at his hands as un unlaces his skates.   
Nate insists on a lazy day, so Nate and Ty spend the rest of the day in the spa, the pool and watching movies in their room. They eat in the hotel restaurant with the team. They sit down next to Sid at the long table. Tyson squeezes between Nate and sits on Sid’s right side. Nate makes a face but sits down next to Ty.  
“So,” Nate says talking to Sid, “tell me about this date. Who did you take? Where did you meet him?”   
Sid sighs. “Slow down. What do you want to know first?”  
“Who is he?”  
“He’s just a guy.”  
“What’s his name?”  
“Andre.”  
“Andre…?” Nate prompts.  
Sid shakes his head. “No. I may not have social media, but you do, and I know what you can find given the chance.”  
Nate scowls and crosses his arms. “You’re awful.”  
“What now?” Sid sighs.  
“Where did you meet?”  
Sid blushes, and his tongue darts out to wet his lips. He’s saved from answering right away because the waitress comes over to take their drink orders.   
“So?” Nate prompts.   
“So, I met him in a coffee shop.”  
Nate scoffs. “That’s so cliché.”  
“Yeah, well, he’s also my barista.”  
Nate’s mouth drops. “Really? Fuck dude.”  
Sid’s blush reaches his ears and down his neck. “He wrote his number on a cup. So obviously I texted him…”  
“Sid? Texting? I don’t believe my ears,” Nate says mockingly. It gets a giggle out of Tyson.  
Sid rolls his eyes. “So, yeah, we went on a few dates and then I asked him to the football game.”  
“Still going out?” Nate asks.  
Sid bites his lip and nods.  
“He here?” Nate asks.  
Sid shakes his head. He didn’t want to take off that much work, but he promised to watch all the games that he could.”  
Nate smiles broadly. “Well, I expect to meet him.”  
Sid groans. “No. I don’t want you to meet him. You’re a horror.”  
Nate fakes offence. “I can’t believe you would say that about me.”  
“Yeah. Yeah.”  
The drinks arrive and the waitress takes their meal orders.   
“Ty, how have you been?” Sid asks.  
Tyson’s brow furrows, but he answers, “Good as it can be.”  
“You have anything planned for break?”  
“Some vacations after this, you know about the one, but other than that just training.”  
Sid nods, as if considering something.  
The food comes, and they devour it, occasionally making the mark on the team dinner conversation. Tyson and Nate make their escape before Segs can force dessert on them, or before Sid starts another conversation with Nate.   
“I love you,” Ty whispers into Nate’s neck as they fall asleep.  
“Love you too,” Nate murmurs. 

The next day, they play Germany. It is a blowout. Like, more than Latvia. The game ends 10-0. It’s an absolute obliteration. The celebration at the hotel bar is crazy. Segs is going shot for shot with Giroux. Several others have probably their second beer. The only one without alcohol is Sid.   
“Come on man! That was incredible! You deserve some liquor!” Nate shouts, leaning on Ty who is nursing his own bottle of beer.  
Sid shakes his head. “Nah, man. I’m going to wait until we actually win gold to celebrate like this.”  
“Even then you won’t go all out like this,” Giroux says, popping up.   
Sid just rolls his eyes. “There’s never any reason to get trashed.”  
“Uh, I can think of several.” Segs leans on Sid shoulders and tosses back a shot. “Winning the Stanley Cup. Winning gold at Worlds. Winning silver at Worlds. Winning bronze at Worlds. Winning gold at the Olympics. Winning silver at the Olympics. Just for fucking fun.”  
Sid just shakes his head. “I’d think you of all people would be a little more careful.”  
“Oh, come on Cros. Don’t ruin his night like that,” Giroux complains.  
Segs isn’t even paying attention anymore. He’s flirting with the bartender and taking another shot.   
“Fuck,” Giroux groans. He signals the bar tender for another shot and puts it down like Segs. “I fucking hate you man!” Giroux exclaims.   
Segs just gives a shit-eating grin.   
Nate grabs Segs next shot from him and downs it before Segs can even react.  
“You are awful,” Segs deadpans, well, as well as he can when he’s nearing black-out drunk.   
Nate grabs Ty’s wrist and drags him out on the dance floor. They dance like the drunken idiots they are, but Nate wouldn’t have it any other way. The occasional brushes of Ty’s hand on his shoulders or hips are pushing him far into the territory of turned on. He grabs Ty and spins him around, grinding into his ass. By the gasps and the way Tyson hitches his hips, Nate assumes he knows what Nate is feeling, and probably isn’t far off himself.  
“Room?” Nate pants wetly into Ty’s ear.  
Ty just nods. They sneak out of the bar, trying not to let anyone see them make their escape to a private room. They make out in the elevator, Nate grinding hard against Ty’s hip. All he wants is more friction, or to be inside Ty. That would work too, right now.  
The elevator dings when they make it to their floor. They never leave more than an inch between them as they stumble down the hallway. It takes a minute for Nate to get the key in, but when he does, the fall into their room, groping and pulling at clothes.   
Nate finally gets Ty naked and horizontal. Ty is breathing hard, and the room feels to hot. Nate bends over so he can kiss Tyson properly, full of tongue and little nips that make Tyson absolutely keen.   
“Nate please!” Tyson begs.   
Nate chuckes and kisses below Tyson’s ear, sucking lightly on his earlobe. “You like that?”  
Tyson nods and whines.   
“You want more?”  
“Yes!” Tyson thrusts his hips up to press the issue. Nate sucks on Ty’s neck, working his way down to lave some attention to Ty’s chest, because fuck, his chest.   
Nate takes a breath in trying to steady himself. He gets lube on his fingers and works one in. Tyson’s mouth drops in a silent gasp. Nate wiggles it, pulling at the rim. Tyson whines softly at the stretch. Nate gets another finger it, stretching him and getting him wet.  
“You like that don’t you? You like the feel of my fingers inside of you.”  
Tyson nods, squirming under Nate’s ministrations. Nate bends down and adds his tongue into the mix. He tastes like sweat and lube, but Nate wouldn’t rather be anywhere else. Tyson’s whining gets louder the more Nate licks. He licks a long line down the cleft of Ty’s ass.   
“Nate, fuck, I need you in me now.”  
Nate sits up, stretching Ty a little more before lubing himself up. He sinks in slowly, watching Ty’s face change. It feels so good. The heat is overwhelming. He just breathes, letting Tyson adjust.   
He starts to move when he thinks Ty is ready. It’s just a slow, smooth slide at first. It feels so good, so intoxicating that he can’t help but pump fast. Tyson grasps at Nate’s back, fingernails scraping into his skin. It encourages Nate to go faster and faster until there’s no rhythm. Tyson comes hard, spurting against both chests. Nate comes moments later, groaning and collapsing on top of Ty. They lay there, breathing together.  
“We’re gross,” Tyson laughs. “And you’re heavy.” He pushes a laughing Nate off him. Nate lays on his back, smiling at the ceiling. He loves this feeling, the feeling of just being with Tyson. Nothing ever feels any better.  
Tyson ends up being the one to get up and get a wash cloth. Nate admires the view of his own come leaking down Ty’s thigh. They sleep together, sweaty and gross, but happy and content.  
Nate is up before Ty. It’s so nice to see him sleep. He looks so much younger in sleep. His face is soft and without worry. He brushes his thumb across Ty’s forehead. Ty whines a little, nuzzling deeper into his pillow.   
“Time to get up, babe,” Nate whispers. He strokes along the shell of Ty’s ear, loving the way he squirms.  
“Not yet. Five more minutes,” Ty mumbles.   
“Babe, we’ve got practice. We have to get up.”  
Ty groans, but rolls so his face isn’t smushed into the pillow anymore.   
Nate smiles down at him before he rolls out of bed. He doesn’t bother showering, because he’s just going to get worse at practice. He gets into his under armor and sneakers. He smacks Tyson’s ass, but Ty just groans and rolls deeper into the bed.  
“You sore?” Nate asks, checking his phone. He barely catches Ty’s nod. “Well, you still have to go to practice. You can’t just skip.”  
Tyson groans again. “I know.”  
“You better get up, then.”   
Tyson groans, but gets up. He disappears into the bathroom, but Nate can’t help laughing as he walks with a little bow between his legs. He gets ready slowly, so not to make the soreness any worse. Nate feels bad, but he can’t help laughing. He looks so silly walking the way he does.   
“You did this, ass,” Tyson mutters.  
“I Know. ‘m sorry, really.” He pulls Ty onto his lap and kisses him. “Let’s get going.   
Practice is loose and lax, except Sid of course. Ty hangs out near the bench more often than not, then blushes whenever Nate looks at him. Nate loves that he does this to Ty. He knows Ty is sore and he loves that no one else knows, or even can know.  
“What did you do to Ty?” Sid asks, skating up next to Nate.  
“Ah, fuck you man,” Nate mumbles. “Not like it’s any of your business.”  
“It is because you two are on my team right now. I need to know if he’s okay.”  
“Oh, come one, Sid. He’s just sore. Drop it okay. He’ll be plenty fine by tomorrow.   
They win the next day against the Czech Republic. It’s a hard fought game, racking up penalties like none other, especially by the third period. They do win by three points though. They’re flying through the tournament.  
Nate and Tyson collapse in bed after the game, too exhausted to do anything other than mumble good night.  
The rest of the preliminary games go quickly, beating Sweden 6-4, France 4-3, Switzerland 7-2, and Austria 10-1.  
Things get rougher when the get to the Quarter finals. They play Belarus first. Sid is on top of them at practice, but they don’t really need it. They win 9-0. They celebrate a little that night, but it’s a little terser. They know they have another game to win that’s very important if they want to win gold.  
Tyson sucks Nate off in bed, knowing they only have practice in the morning. Nate comes hard down Ty’s throat as he swallows around Nate’s length.   
“Shit, babe.” Nate strokes Tyson twice before he’s coming, hot and sticky into Nate’s hand.   
“I love you so much,” Ty says, scrambling up Nate to kiss him.  
“I love-“ he can’t finish the sentence because Ty gets his mouth on Nate’s. Nate gets his filthy hands into Tyson’s curls at the base of his neck to cup his head and make the angle better. Tyson sits on Nate’s stomach and kisses down like that for a long time. Longer than they probably should.   
Ty pulls away and smiles at Nate. He presses another quick kiss to Nate before standing up. He comes back to clean Nate off with a wash cloth.   
“You ready for tomorrow?” he asks, tossing the wash cloth on the floor.  
Nate nods. “Of course. We’re gonna kill it. We’ve been plowing through the entire tournament.”  
Ty nods. “But, doesn’t that mean it’s gonna bite us eventually?” He settles down next to Nate, pulling the covers up and curling up next to him.  
“Not if we keep playing like this.”  
Ty sighs. “I love being here with you.”  
“Me too. I’m so excited for our group vacation,” Nate says smiling. He gently rubs the spot on the back of Ty’s neck. Ty relaxes into it, resting his cheek on Nate’s shoulder.   
“Speaking of vacations,” Tyson says smiling.  
“What?” Nate asks.  
“Do you think you’d be okay putting off going home for an extra week?”  
Nate smiles, a little confused. “Uh, yeah. What do you have planned?”  
“A week in Monaco, all to ourselves.”  
Nate’s jaw dropped. “Really?”  
Ty nods. “I figured we deserved it.”  
Nate pressed a deep kiss to Ty’s lips. “I love you.”  
Tyson is smiling so broadly, and his cheeks are just slightly flushed.   
“I can’t wait, babe.”  
Tyson presses a kiss to Nate’s neck.   
The Czech Republic plays a much harder game, only letting two pucks into the net, but Canada doesn’t let in any. There is some celebration but not much. Everyone knows they have a tough game against Russia tomorrow. Nate and Ty rest in the room watching some movie in Czech.   
Nate’s phone lights up with a text from Sid  
Sid: All ready for tomorrow?  
Nate: Yup. All good. You okay?  
Sid: Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?  
Nate: I know how you get whenever you have to play against Geno.  
Sid: It’s no different than any other game.  
Nate: BS. But, whatever.  
Sid: Get some rest.  
Nate: Yeah, you too big bro.  
“Who you texting?” Ty asks, sleepily as Nate puts his phone down.  
“Sid. He wants to make sure we’re resting. I told him not to worry about it. He’s mostly worried about playing Geno. He never likes playing against him, especially for the gold.”  
Tyson nods. “I bet that sucks.”  
“Geno’s his best friend,” Nate says softly.  
Tyson grips Nate’s arm tightly. “I couldn’t imagine playing against you.”  
Nate nods and nuzzles Ty’s hair. “I couldn’t either.” They’re silent for a beat. “You’ve got to stay with me.”  
“Nate…” Tyson starts.  
“No. You’ve got to stay with me. I don’t know what I’ll do if they trade you.”  
“You know as well as I do they won’t trade me. I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else,” Tyson says softly.   
They lay, just watching the movie. Tyson scoots a little closer and sighs. Nate feels him relax and knows he’s about to fall asleep. He turns the TV off. He settles down a bit, Tyson shifting to get comfortable. Nate watches Tyson fall asleep. He loves watching the lines disappear from his face. He keeps running his fingers through his hair until Nate falls asleep as well.  
Playing against Russia is hard but easy at the same time. They score early, and it’s the only goal of the period. They come out in full strength while Russia does not in the second period. They score three times then twice more in the third. Geno gets one goal halfway through the period. That’s where the game ends: 6-1.   
It’s an incredible feeling watching the clock tick down. He launches himself over the board when the buzzer goes. He hugs Tyson tight, not willing to let go. They won. They won fucking gold together. He couldn’t be happier. He feels off the moon. Tyson is smiling just as brightly and yelling in his ear. They won. They won. They FUCKING won!  
Nate watches Sid hug Geno in the handshake line. He can see how upset Geno is. It’s no fun to play against teammates in something like this.   
All Nate really wants to do in lieu of winning is kiss Tyson. He just wants to hold Tyson and celebrate with him.   
But, as soon as Russia is gone, the celebrations begin. The Cup is brought out on the ice. Everyone is cheering. Nate’s parents come down and he hugs them with his new gold medal. Sid is hugging his parents and Taylor. Tyson is hugging his parents and sister as well. It’s all so much.   
“I’m so proud of you, honey,” his mom says into his ear.   
“Thanks Mom.”  
“Great job, kid.” His dad says, bopping his head. Pictures are taken, congrats are given from other families (specifically the Barries and the Crosbys.)   
Once the family celebrations are over, the guys head back to the locker room to start the celebrations. Segs sprays everyone in champagne. Everyone is shouting and hugging and leaning on one another, and they aren’t even drunk yet. Nate starts to get undressed along with everyone else as bottles of champagne are passed around. Everyone is drinking, everyone is happy. Tyson bumps shoulders with Nate as the get rid of gear. Nate laughs as he sees Segs get ready to drink from the cup as Giroux films him.   
“Get out of the way Croz!” Giroux shouts as Sid stands to throw out some tape.  
Sid makes a face and sits back down.  
“Go! Go Segway!” Giroux calls. Nate takes the opportunity to sneak in and make a face at the camera.   
Everything gets wilder from there. They go out to a club. The music is pumping and the alcohol is flowing. Nate downs shot after shot, yelling at Segs and keeping Ty by his side. They dance, which really isn’t dancing. It’s most grinding against one another. Nate’s neck is flushed and he knows he’s just as sweaty now as he was after the game. It’s not like he cares. They just won fucking gold.   
It’s 2am by the time Tyson drags Nate back to their room. Tyson kisses him against the door hot and wet and sloppy. Nate’s got one hand in Tyson’s hair and the other down the front of Ty’s pants. They struggle to get naked, but once they do, Tyson pushes him down the bed. Ty sucks down Nate’s chest, leaving marks as he goes. Nate whines and wriggles under Tyson. Ty hikes Nate’s legs over his shoulders and tongues at Nate’s hole. Nate whines.  
“Fuck, Ty. More, God. I need more.”  
Ty gets a finger in up to the first knuckle without any lube, just licking away at the whole. Nate loves the feel of the sloppy, wet ministrations.   
Tyson pulls away, much to the disappointment of Nate. He grabs the lube and gets a few fingers wet. He sinks two in and starts scissoring right away. Nate moans, throwing his head back into the pillows. He grips the sheets so hard his knuckles turn white.   
He gets a third finger in, it feels so fucking good. He loves the feel of Ty’s fingers moving around inside him. “Fuck. Ty I’m ready. Let’s go.”  
Ty groans and sits up, pulling his fingers out. Nate whines a little at the loss, but he has to wet his lips at the sight of Tyson stroking his dick to get it wet and ready. His own dick his beyond hard, curled toward his stomach and dripping. Ty lines up and slips ever so slowly into Nate. He whines, gripping Ty’s arms, trying to get him to go faster. Finally, oh fucking finally, he bottoms out. They pant for a minute before Nate moans out, “Move!”  
Tyson takes the command for what it is. He plants his hands on Nate shoulders and starts rocking into him. He nails Nate prostate on the first thrust. Nate yells out and grips tightly to Ty’s biceps.   
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Nate moans in time with Ty’s thrusts.   
“You close?” Ty groans out.  
Nate manages a nod. Ty readjusts and gets a hand on Nate. Just the small touch of Ty’s palm cradling the head is enough to send his head spinning. Ty strokes him twice before Nate comes hard. He groans as Ty keeps his hand there. It’s almost too much between Ty still nailing his prostate and the touch on his dick. Then, Ty comes and collapses on Nate. Neither has the energy to move after the long night, rough game, and amazing fuck. They end up falling asleep on top of one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come hang with me on [Tumblr](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/) Comments are so appricated!!!


	21. Chapter Twenty One

Once they sober up (about two days later), they’re on a huge cruise ship with Sid, Roman Josi, and an assortment of other players from around the league. The cruise ship spans farther than the Pepsi center, with just as many levels. They take a huge group picture before boarding. Tyson wiggles his way between a laughing Nate and Sid before the camera snaps.   
They load up the boat, pulling bags behind them with duffels on their shoulders.   
“What do you think?” Nate asks when they get to their room.   
“I think we just came out to this group of player,” Ty sighs. They get wiggles eyebrows as the go in the room together.  
Nate laughs and closes the door. “Is it that bad?”  
Ty shakes his head. “No. Just annoying, I guess.”  
Nate drops his bag and pulls Ty in. He cradles his hand with his hands and makes Ty look him in the eye. “I love you so much. Nothing those shitheads could say will ever change that.”  
Ty brightens. “I know.”  
“And I’ll always have your back no matter what.”  
“I know,” Ty says again.  
“Good.” Nate presses his lips to Ty’s, not intending for anything more than that, but Ty has other ideas. He slides his fingers into Nate’s hair and pulls the kiss deep by swiping his tongue along Nate’s bottom lip. Nate gasps, and Tyson takes the opportunity to slip his tongue inside Nate’s mouth. Nate slots their hips together, grinding his thigh between Ty’s legs. Ty groans into their kiss and pushes his back.   
They stay like that for a while, licking and grinding against one another, until Nate gets impatient. He starts pushing Ty over to the king size bed. He shoves Tyson down on the bed gently. He teases the hem of Ty’s shirt, licking his lips at what’s to come.  
“Come on, Nate!” Ty whines.  
“Greedy, greedy,” Nate says before pulling the shirt over Ty’s head. He strips his own shirt off, trailing his hands down his chest as Ty’s eyes track with. He tweaks a nipple of his own and Ty groans as Nate did it to him. “You like that, huh?” He watches Ty’s Adam’s apple as it bobs. “You like looking at me?”  
Ty nods. “Fuck yeah, Nate. Love your body.” Ty sits up, running his own hands over Nate’s chest. He circles around to come down his back and cups Nate’s ass for a second. “And you know what else I love?” Ty asks, looking up through his lashes at Nate.  
“What?” Nate asks, his voice already husky and thick.  
“This.” Ty pops the button on Nate’s dress pants and slides them down. Nate’s dick presses against the fabric of his briefs, making a little dot of damp fabric, where the head is leaking. Ty plays with the waistband of Nate’s briefs, smiling up at Nate as he does.  
“Fuck, you look so good,” Nate moans.  
“Yeah? You like me down here with my mouth by your dick?”  
“Fuck yeah, babe.” He scratches his fingers through Ty’s curls, loving the blush that spreads across his cheeks.   
Ty slips the waistband down so just the rosy head is peeking out. He kisses it as he runs a hand across Nate’s smooth, lower stomach. “Wanna make you feel good, babe.” Ty’s breath ghosts across Nate’s ever hardening dick.  
Nate moans before saying, “You always make me feel so good.”  
Ty pulls the briefs down so he has full access to Nate’s dick. It juts out hard, in front of him. It’s thick and curled just slightly. The red head is dripping and all Ty wants to do is lap it up. He gets a hand on the base and Nate groans. He grabs at Ty’s head, loving the way Ty is looking at his dick. Ty kitten licks at the head, just tasting.  
“Oh, fuck, Ty. That’s good. That’s really fucking good.” Tyson takes just the head into his mouth, suckling for a moment. Nate groans because fuck that’s good. Tyson hums, and it send sparks down Nate’s dick. “Fuck.”  
Ty licks him from root to tip, stroking himself underneath, having shed his pants at some point. He spits into his hand, and Nate takes pleasure in knowing some of that his is own precome. He watches Ty’s hand slide down his own shaft before he gets his mouth back on Nate. He slides down Ty’s throat until Ty is nosing the hair there.   
“Holy shit, Ty. You look so good, so pretty stretched around my dick like that. Fuck.” He bows his head, trying to regain some kind of composure so he doesn’t come right there. He starts to bob and stroke himself in rhythm. Nate tightens his grip in Ty’s hair, which causes Ty to moan, sending more sparking through Nate’s body. It so fucking good.   
“Ty, Ty, Ty, please, fuck, please,” he moans as he gets closer and closer. Ty is still keep rhythm. It’s a quick rhythm, but he hasn’t lost it yet. He’s losing his mind with the self-control he has to use to keep his hips still as Ty sucks around him. “I’m gonna… I’m gonna,” Nate breathes in warning. Ty slips down to the root and staying there as Nate spasms and comes hard. It feels like the hardest he’s come in a while, but that’s all sex with Tyson. It always seems to get better and better. Tyson is stripping his dick last as he gently pulls of Nate’s dick and licks at the head, still fountaining in small, tiny spurts.   
“Fuck, too much.” Nate collapses on the bed, just in time to watch Ty come into his hand, panting, flushed, curls dripping, as so, so, so beautiful. He grabs Tyson arms and pulls him down onto his chest. He’s breathing hard, and smells like Nate. He keeps his nose buried in Ty’s sweaty curls until he’s breathing slows and he hums at Nate.  
“That was amazing, babe,” Nate whispers into Ty’s ear.  
“Yeah?”  
“Fuck yeah, that was incredible. It’s like sex with you gets better every time.”  
Ty chuckles. “Good, I’m glad.” He turns his head slightly and presses a kiss to the side of Nate’s mouth. They lay there for another moment, just soaking in the afterglow.   
“Shower?” Nate asks.  
Ty chuckles. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”  
Nate presses a kiss to Ty’s temple. “I sure hope so.”  
They scramble to the bathroom to get the water running. While they wait for it to heat, Nate pulls Tyson in and kisses him slow and smooth. Nothing frantic yet, although Nate’s dick is twitching in interest. Nate reaches a hand back and feels hot water. He lifts a giggling Tyson into the shower, still kissing him. The water instant soaks them, running down their bodies in trails. Ty moans when Nate sucks on his earlobe, head tipping sideways to give Nate more room to work. Nate sucks a bruise into the side of his neck, where he knows everyone will see it tomorrow.   
“More, please, Nate.”  
“What do you want, baby?” Nate asks, mouthing at the wet skin of Tyson’s collar bone.  
“Your… your fingers,” he moans as Nate starts sucking on his nipple.  
Nate keeps one arm wrapped around Ty’s back and lets the other down to cup Ty’s ass. Ty nuzzles his face into Nate’s neck as he tugs on Ty’s rim. “You like that babe?”  
Ty whimpers. “Please, more.”  
“You’re so greedy, aren’t you?” Nate coos.   
Ty whimpers again. Nate works one finger in, holding tight to Ty as he starts to go limp. “How’s that feel? Feel good?” Nate asks.  
Ty nods against Nate’s neck, breathing hard. Nate can feel how much Ty is enjoying this against his thigh. He’s fairly hard himself. He ruts slowly against Ty as he works his finger in deeper. Without lube, there’s so much more friction. Tyson is whining against him, the vibrations going straight to Nate’s dick. “How’s that feel?” Nate asks, as he wiggles his whole finger inside Ty.  
“Good. So fucking good,” Ty moans.  
“Do you want another?”  
“Yes! Fuck yes.”   
Nate kisses the top of Ty’s head before starting to work a second finger in. It’s so much harder without lube, and Nate doesn’t know how Tyson’s dick hasn’t flagged, but fuck if the sounds he’s making aren’t fucking hot, then he doesn’t know what is. He’s moving his hips quicker against Ty’s hip, trying to get as much friction as possible.   
“More, please, more, fuck, Nate, Nate,” Tyson pants wetly.   
Nate swallows and starts to work a third finger in. He’s practically supporting all of Nate’s weight now. Ty has his arms wrapped around Nate’s neck trying to stay upright as he gets closer and closer too release. Nate works his fingers in and out as best he can, but he’s losing focus. He can feel himself getting closer. Fuck, he can’t remember the last time he got off by rubbing off on someone. Just like that, he’s coming, spurting against Ty’s hip. His fingers shove deeper, stuttering as he comes, getting a gasp out of Ty and Nate can suddenly feel the hot, sticky come against his stomach. They hold each other, coming down from their second orgasm of the night. The water slowly washes the come off their bodies and down the drain.  
“Holy fuck,” Ty says.  
Nate chuckles. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.” Ty pulls away, legs a little wobbly, and Nate can see the dark bruise on his neck. It’s bigger and darker than Nate had meant for it to be. He run his thumb across it, making Ty shiver.   
Suddenly, Ty’s face gets pinched.  
“What is it, babe?” Nate asks.  
“None of our shower stuff is in here. It’s all still in our suitcases.”  
Nate doesn’t know why, but he finds it hilarious. He’s bent over laughing, so he hears, more than sees Ty get out of the shower and dart across the room. He’s composed by the time Ty gets back, shampoo and soap in hand. They wash each other methodically. Nate loves showering with Ty, even when it doesn’t include sex. He loves scratching shampoo through Ty’s hair. He loves the way Ty’s hands feel rubbing down his back with soap. It’s extremely domestic, but Nate wouldn’t have it any other way.   
They get out of the shower, towel of, finish their nightly routines and drop off in bed. Nate curls around Ty and noses at the hair at his nape. “I love you,” he whispers.  
“I love you too,” Tyson sighs before his breathing evens out and they’re both asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! Hope you enjoyed!!! Comments are always appreciated!!! Find me on Tumblr [here](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/)


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be posting a chapter tomorrow for the game. I will be driving home so I don't want to try and write a chapter between now and tomorrow knowing I can't do any writing all day tomorrow because I'll be driving.  
> I hope you enjoy this one! Another will be up Sunday!!

Nate is awake before Tyson. He doesn’t know why this keeps happening, but he’s sure as hell not complaining. He strokes Tyson’s cheek softly, the soft skin under his fingers feeling warm. Tyson sighs softly in his sleep. It makes him seem so much younger than he is, like Nate is the older of the two.   
Nate moves Tyson so he’s resting on the crook of his arm and uses the other to call room service. He orders a ridiculous breakfast that he knows both of them will be grateful for.   
After he hangs up the phone, Tyson yawns and stretches one arm out. (Thankfully, the one away from Nate.) He smacks his lips, something that Nate has gotten used to seeing in the mornings. “Good morning, babe.” Nate presses a soft kiss to Tyson’s head.   
“Hmm, good morning,” Tyson says, stretching fully and sitting up a little bit. “Can you believe we’re here?”  
Nate shakes his head. “It’s incredible.”  
There’s a knock at the door. Tyson’s brow furrows.  
“Stay here,” Nate says with a kiss. He pulls a robe around himself and answers the door. He smiles and tips the room server. The tray he brings back to the bed is overflowing with food and juice.  
“Oh my god, Nate! This is incredible!”  
Nate puts the tray on Ty’s lap while he gets into bed and it can balance on two laps. They eat with some weird TV on for background noise. Nate feeds Ty strawberries, which Ty first squawks at, but blushes when he bites from the fruit. It doesn’t take them long to devour the entire tray.  
“Swim suits and sun bathing?” Ty suggests.  
Nate nods.  
Out on the swim deck, is only the staff cleaning up a little, it seems. Nate lays out a towel on a pool chair and lays down to sunbathe.   
“Sun screen, babe,” Ty says standing over Nate.  
“Fuck off,” Nate groans.  
“You’re gonna get sunburned.”   
Nate grunts, but allows Ty to lather him in sunscreen. It feels kind of good, despite how it smells. Tyson massages it in well before tapping his hip, asking for him to turn over. Nate does, with some struggle, and this feels even better. Ty rubs deep into Nate’s sore muscles from Worlds. He lets out a low moan, and Tyson chuckles.   
“Better, babe?”  
Nate nods, and flops onto his back. He can hear Tyson getting his spot ready and rubbing sunscreen on himself, when another set of footsteps enter.  
“Holy shit, Brutes! What mauled you last night?” Roman exclaims.  
Nate peeks at Tyson. His jaw is dropped, and hand hovering over the spot Nate had been sucking last night. The blush is high on his cheeks.  
“Nate, you fucker!” Roman slaps his hip.   
“Hey, who said it was me?” Nate says. More guys are starting to appear, towels over their arms, sunglasses down.  
“Oh come on. You two share a room with one bed and Tyson comes out this morning looking like that? Who else could’ve done it?” Roman smirks.   
There’s a smirk playing at Nate’s lips as well. He grabs Tysons hips and pulls him down, squealing onto his lap. “I’ve got to mark what’s mine in on a boat like this,” Nate says, running his tongue over the bruise.  
“Nate!” Tyson exclaims, trying to scramble off his lap.  
Roman laughs. “Nice, boys. Real nice.” He then takes the chair next to Tyson and doesn’t say a word. Ty’s blush settles a little bit but it’s still there as he gets settled.  
Nate reaches for him. “Hey, it’s okay, babe.” He watches Tyson swallow then nod.  
“No one’s gonna hate you because of it,” Roman says.  
Tyson scoffs. “Yeah, says you.”  
Roman rolls his eyes. “Really. I don’t fucking care. Plus, the two of you are cute.”  
Nate laughs at that. “See no big deal.” He grabs Ty’s wrist and pulls him down to his level. He plants a big, smacking kiss on him before letting him go. “See?” No one seems perturbed. “Plus, these are our friends, Ty.”  
Ty nods, trying to settle his breathing.   
Sid comes out then, and settles on the chair next to Nate. “You get up to shit last night?” he asks.  
“Did you hear us?” Nate hisses.  
Sid chuckles. “No. I see the bruise on Tyson’s neck.”  
Ty groans at that, covering it with his hand.  
“Hey babe.” Nate looks up at the new voice. It’s a fairly tall, built dude. He’s got dark hair and dark eyes. He leans down to kiss Sid, and all Nate can think is he’s totally Sid’s type.  
“Morning. You sleep well?”  
He nods. “These beds are incredible.” He settles on the chair next to Sid, looking down at the rest of the guys.   
“Hi, I’m Andre.”  
Nate smiles, sitting up. “I’m Nate. Nice to finally meet you.”  
“Likewise. I think I have you to thank for those incredible tickets.”  
Nate chuckles. “Yeah. But, it was really just a birthday gift. Sid’s the one who took you to the game.” He’s not going to be an asshole at tell Sid’s new guy that he told Sid he had to take someone on a date with those tickets. He’s happy for Sid, and so far this guy seems pretty good.  
Andre shrugs. “You still provided the tickets. So thanks.”  
“No problem,” Nate says with a tip of his glasses.  
“And you are?” Andre asks Tyson.  
“I’m Tyson Barrie. I play on the same team as Nate,” he says.  
Andre smirks. “I can see that.”   
Ty groans and covers the bruise. “Please excuse my boyfriend’s total lack of discretion.”  
That gets the whole group to laugh. This feels incredible. He loves being able to be so open about this with all of their friends. They lay in the sun until it really starts to heat up. Nate can feel the sun beating into his skin. He’s ready to get in the water. He drops his sunglasses on the chair before cannonballing into the water.   
Guys are chuckling across the deck when he resurfaces. Tyson is glaring at him, looking like he got a little wet. Andre is full out laughing and Sid… Sid’s just soaked. He can’t help laughing himself at the face Sid is making. Roman whoops and jumps in splashing more water back into Nate’s face. He splutters but smiles.   
“Come on!” he calls to Ty.  
Ty just crosses his arms.   
“Please, babe. It feels so good!””  
Ty rolls his eyes, but sheds his sunglasses.   
Nate cheers with Roman as Ty walks over. He jumps in, yelling as he hits the water. His curls are falling in his face when he surfaces, and Nate can’t help but brush them back.  
“Happy?” Ty asks, but he’s smiling, Nate knows he’s happy too.  
Nate nods. “Very.”  
“I need a partner then we’re getting a game of chicken on!” Roman yells.  
Tyson’s eyes go wide, and Nate chuckles.  
“You got it man,” Andre jumps in, maybe a little to close, splashing them all. Andre and Roman take a few minutes to argue over who should sit on who’s shoulders.   
“Ready?” Nate asks, looking at Ty.  
Ty nods, so Nate drops under water. He waits until he can feel Ty’s legs and holds on before surfacing. He gasps and adjusts Ty’s weight on his shoulders.   
Ty reaches over and wipes the hair from his eyes. “Better?”  
Nate nods. “Thanks babe.” That’s when Andre surfaces with Roman on his shoulders.   
Nate battles cries with Tyson and charge them. They clash. Nate is laughing in Andre’s face, trying to keep Tyson balanced. Roman manages to push Tyson off and the both drop into the water.  
They come up laughing and spluttering. Andre flips Roman off him. Ty scowls jokingly. It doesn’t take much longer for the rest of the guys to join.  
“Babe, come on!” Andre calls, because of course Sid would be the one to sit back.   
Sid shakes his head. “I’m fine here. You guys have fun.”  
Nate rolls his eyes. Andre looks a little put out. “Andre,” Nate whispers.  
Andre swims over to him.  
“I have an idea,” Nate smirks. He whispers his idea to him, and the include Roman and Tyson in their scheme. They get up on the deck, talking and making noise like any group of hockey players might. They wait until Sid is sure not to have any suspicions before pouncing. Each guys grabs and arm and hauls him in the pool. They’re all falling over themselves laughing when he comes up spluttering, holding his sun glasses. “You’re all monsters. Real and true monsters.” He puts his sunglasses on the deck before launch himself out of the water and hauling Andre into the water by his waist.  
Nate, Ty and Roman follow them in.   
It’s a nice morning spent in the pool. But, they all are professional hockey players so by the time noon rolls around, everyone is starving. There’s a restaurant on board where they all take off to once dried and dressed, or at least partially dressed. Nate, Ty, Roman, Sid, and Andre all eat together in various states of dressed. Nate can see Tyson avoiding looking at his bare chest, and he loves it. He throws his arm around Ty as they wait for their drinks. Ty’s Adam’s apple bobs and shifts his shoulders.   
“You okay?” Nate teases.  
“You’re a fucking tease, Mackinnon,” Tyson whispers back.   
Nate just smiles, and says, “Yeah, I know our PP was awesome,” to Sid. Ty pinches the soft skin of Nate’s inner thigh, making him yelp. Roman laughs into a fist, while Sid eyes the two of them.   
The waitress brings their drinks, alcoholic of course. Nate keeps his arm around Ty as the meal progresses. No one seems to notice or really care.   
They hang out by the pool again after lunch. Nate naps on and off, waking up whenever Tyson reapplies sunscreen because he’s awesome like that.   
“How you doing babe?” Ty asks the second time he’s reapplying sunscreen.  
“Good. What time is it?” Nate asks, squinting at the sun.   
“About 4 o’clock. You wanna do something?”  
Nate shakes his head, closing his eyes again. “Nah, let’s just relax today.”  
Tyson chuckles. “Okay, babe.”  
Nate’s heart flutters. He’ll never get used to hearing that come out of Ty’s mouth. He reaches across the chairs and threads his fingers through Ty’s before he drifts off again.  
He’s not asleep for long. Roman is waking him up by spraying him with a water gun. He shouts and grabs the water gun out of Andre’s hand, who’s standing next to him. He sprays Roman in the head in revenge.  
“Hey, get your own!” Andre exclaims, grabbing the gun back from Nate. It doesn’t take long for Nate to find another gun, fill it a join the fight. It’s an all-out war, everyone for themselves. They’re all breathing hard by the time most everyone has run out of water.   
“Dinner?” Nate suggests, sidling over to Sid and Andre.   
“Sounds good.”   
He and Ty go to their room to change. They shower together. The make out slowly, with no intent of starting anything. They do actually have dinner plans. They wash off the sweat and sunscreen from the day, hands lingering on backs and hips.   
“I can’t believe you did this,” Tyson whines. He looking in the mirror at the hickey from the previous night.  
“You loved it,” Nate says smirking.  
He smacks Ty’s ass as he walks out of the bathroom.   
Finally dressed and ready, they join Sid and Andre for dinner. Nate supposes it’s a double date, since Roman’s ditched them for some other guys. Andre is sitting on one side of the booth with one arm around Sid. Nate and Ty slide in across from them.  
“So,” Nate starts, looking at Andre, “I know a little about who you are from Sid, but definitely not enough.”  
Andre chuckles. “Yeah, he’s not one for sharing, I’ve learned.” Sid blushes when Andre glances at him. “Well, I’m sure he told you that we met in a coffee shop.”  
Nate nods. “He told me you made his drink.”  
Andre laughs. “I did, and wrote my number on the cup. He blushed like he is now.” Which only makes Sid go pinker.   
“Where are you from?” Nate asks.  
“I’m from Upstate New York. Moved to Pittsburg for school and didn’t really go anywhere else when I was done. Good thing too, I guess,” he says smiling at Sid. Nate knows that looks. Seen it on Sid’s face whenever he’s talked about Geno in the past. Now though, they look at each other that way. Nate couldn’t be happier for Sid.   
“What did you study in school?” Ty asks, turning the couples attention back to them.  
“I studied Health and Rehabilitation. Mostly, to start as physical therapist. That kind of took a turn halfway through. I’m floating for now until I can figure out what I want to do instead. Something with health, probably, but not something that will require too much more schooling. I want to figure out what I want and go do it.”  
Nate and Ty nod. The waitress takes their drink orders before they get back to their conversation.   
“What about you guys? Where are you from?”  
“He’s from Cole Harbor, like Sid. I’m from Victoria, BC,” Ty says.  
Nate nods. “Basically grew up with two families.”  
Andre gives Sid a look. “That’s incredible. Sid doesn’t talk about his family much.”  
Nate scoffs. “I find that hard to believe, especially with how much he loves his sister.”  
Andre nods. “Oh, I’ve heard about Taylor. But not much of the rest.”  
“I’m a private person,” Sid says in his defense.  
The three of them laugh. “You don’t need to be private with your boyfriend, Sid. You can be private about him, not with him,” Nate laughs.   
“That’s called keeping secrets,” Andre says, bopping Sid’s nose.   
Sid swats at him. “Yeah. Yeah.”  
“Sounds like something you’ve been over before?” Nate questions.  
Sid rolls his eyes while Andre sighs, “Yes. It is obvious?”  
“Glaringly,” Nate says, looking pointedly at Sid.   
“Okay, so how is everyone enjoying the cruise?” Sid asks, intent on changing the subject.  
“It’s great, Sid, but we’re coming back to this.” Nate points an accusing finger at Sid.   
“Really, Sid, thanks for this. It’s really incredible,” Ty says, as their drinks come.  
“You’re welcome, Tyson. It was really no problem.”  
“How long have you two been together?” Andre asks.  
Nate looks to Tyson before responding. “We’ve been together for almost two years now. Still working on coming out of the closet though.”  
Andre chuckles. “Can’t be more in the closet than Sid, I suppose.”  
Sid reddens again. “Is this pick on Sid night or something?”  
“It sure appears that way, doesn’t it, babe?” Andre pulls Sid in and kisses his temple. “It’s all fun, you know that.”  
Sid sighs. “Yeah. You’re lucky you’re you.” He says it to Andre, but Nate knows it’s also directed at him.   
The rest of dinner continues like that, Andre getting to know Nate and Ty while occasionally roasting Sid. It’s pretty fantastic actually.   
Nate and Sid get up to speak privately as they’re waiting for dessert.  
“You have to tell him things Sid. You two really seem to like each other. You’ve been dating for what? Eight months, judging by the game I bought the tickets for. You can’t just not tell him about family or friends or the like.”  
Sid sighs. “I know. It’s just hard. I keep everything so close-“ Nate scoffs a little at that, “and I don’t want to mess things up with him.”  
“You’re not going to, Sid. You look at him like you used to look at Geno. And you know what Sid? He looks at you the exact same way. You need to let him in a little. Start small and work your way up. He gets that your private, but he wants to know more about you, Sid. He’s jealous that I know more than him.”  
“You think so?” Sid asks warily.  
“Yes! He’s proabbyl thinking ‘This kid who I’ve never seen and barely heard anything about knows more about my boyfriend’s life than I do.’”  
“Really?”  
Nate nods. “Fuck, that’s what I’d be thinking if I were in his position.”  
Sid sighs. “Maybe you’re right.”  
“I know I’m right? When have I not been right about something like this?”  
Sid rolls his eyes. “Plenty of times.”  
“Well, I came to you asking for relationship advice before Ty and I got together. I am returning the favor, and I promise I’m right. You need to talk to him. And for the record, I totally approve.” Sid chuckles. “This guy is cool. I know you have a hard time letting people in. I think you should let him in.”  
Sid sighs and nods. “You’re probably right.” He glances across the restaurant. “We should probably get back to our men.”  
Nate laughs. “Yeah, probably.”  
They slide back into the booths, each boyfriend giving kisses.   
“I was beginning to think the cheesecake was going to come, and I was going to have to eat it by myself,” Andre teases.   
“You wouldn’t.” Sid exclaims with a hurt expression.  
“At least he knows about Sid’s love for cheesecake,” Tyson mumbles.  
“Said like that wasn’t the first thing I learned when we went on our first date.”  
The table laughs.   
“If I left Ty alone with our dessert for five minutes, no matter what it is, it’d be gone.” Ty’s blush goes all the way to the tips of his smushed ears as they laugh. Nate kisses the side of his head. “I love you,” he whispers.  
Ty gives him a look of “yeah right” in return.   
Dessert comes soon after. Sid and Andre receiving a large slice of marble cheesecake drizzled with raspberry, Nate and Ty getting a piece of chocolate cake and a side of vanilla ice cream, drizzled with hot fudge.  
Ty moans in ecstasy as he takes a bite. Nate smiles at him, unable to help himself. He loves Ty’s love for dessert. He takes small bites in between watching Tyson devour basically the whole slice of cake. When he’s finished, Nate kisses a smudge of chocolate off his lips.  
“Get a room,” Sid complains. He’s relaxing into Andre’s side, very obviously content with the cheesecake. (But when has Sid ever been known not to be content with any kind of cheesecake?) But, somehow, in his lax state, he manages to snatch the check before anyone else.  
“Oh, come on Sid. You’re paying for this boat. Let me take the check,” Nate says, reaching for it.  
Sid shakes his head, handing the check and his card over to the waitress.   
“Go off to your room,” Andre shoes.  
Nate rolls his eyes, but he and Tyson leave, Nate with an arm wrapped around him.  
“That was a good night,” Tyson mulls.   
“It’s about to get even better,” Nate murmurs as he presses a biting kiss to Ty’s bruise.  
Ty gasps and doesn’t shove him away, so Nate takes it as a win. Tyson struggles to get their door open as Nate sucks and licks at his neck.  
“Fuck, Nate,” Tyson moans as they stumble inside together.  
“You like that?”  
“Fuck, you know I do,” Ty says pushing at Nate’s jacket. Nate kisses up to Ty’s lips and they’re kissing hard and frantic. Nate gropes at the front of Ty’s pants. He can feel him hardening in his hand. He loves that he gets Ty this wound up all the time.   
“Bedroom, come on,” Nate pants. The stumble into the bedroom, shedding clothing along the way. Nate gets Tyson horizontal by the time they’ve shed everything except briefs. He palms Tyson through the fabric. He feels the damp spot growing as he does.  
“How do you want it babe?” Nate asks.  
Tyson shakes under him before responding. “Ride… I wanna ride you...”  
Nate licks his lips to try and keep his composure. Tyson’s eyes are wide and wanting. He’s breathing hard with a huge tent in his briefs. Nate takes a deep breath and nods. “Yeah. Yeah let’s do that, but I wanna open you up.”  
Tyson moans and wiggles his hips. “Then hurry up.”   
Nate quickly strips Ty then himself of their shorts. When he reaches for the lube, their dicks rub together in the most delicious friction. Tyson arches, pushing them further together. Nate has to focus not to drop the lube. He pulls a few times on his dick just admiring Tyson’s hole. He gets the lube warm on his fingers before pushing one in. Tyson moans, and Nate revels at how lose Ty still is from the night before.  
It doesn’t take more than a few times in and out before Nate is pushing a second finger in, swallowing Ty’s moans with his mouth. They kiss frantically as Nate opens him up with two fingers. He pulls a little on the rim and a whimper escapes Ty’s lips. Nate watches with wide eyes as he slips three fingers in. It’s an amazing sight, Ty’s ass sucking on his fingers like it needs him to survive.   
“Nate. Nate, I’m ready,” Ty pants.  
Nate nods and let’s Tyson flip them. He sits up and helps Ty align himself. Ty is smiling down at him like Nate is his whole world. (Nate secretly hopes he is.) Ty sits firmly on Nate’s lap, gasping a little as he wiggles down onto his prostate. He wraps his legs around Nate and pulls him into a kiss. He starts to twitch his hips up and down as they kiss. Nate gasps into it at the friction. He holds onto Ty’s hips as he moves.   
Ty shifts so his legs are under him and really starts going. Nate helps him by lifting him by his hips. But, Nate can’t keep his eyes off where they’re connected. He watches himself go in and out of Ty, almost hypnotically.   
He starts to feel his orgasm build deep in his gut. His grip tightens on Ty’s hips as he starts to slam home. Ty moans as Nate hits his prostate over and over. He folds over, putting his hands on Nate’s shoulders. Nate picks up his pace, stuttering as his orgasm slams through him. He pumps Ty full of hot seed just as Ty stripes come across Nate’s front. Nate wraps Ty in his arms and they slowly fall to the mattress breathing hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments are always greatly appreciated! You can find me on [Tumblr](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/)


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

The rest of the trip is much the same. Days are spent lounging at the pool, jumping into the Mediterranean, eating, and fucking. Nate couldn’t ask for anything better. Roman is an all around asshole, joking with Ty like old friend, which Nate supposes they are. Over the trip, guys dwindle, leaving to go home, see family, train, ect. By the time to the cruise is over it’s just Nate, Ty, and Brayden Schenn left standing. They get a picture on the dock before they go their separate ways. Nate sees Tyson’s face light up when he sees the picture on his phone. (He posts it with the caption “Last one’s standing! Time to head home @mackinnon29 #schenndaddy” as if they have any intention of returning home just yet.)  
“Ready to get going?” Tyson whispers into Nate’s ear.  
“You know it.” He wraps his arm around Ty’s waist as they get into the taxi that’ll take them to the airport. Nate keeps Ty tucked close as they drive. Ty rests his head on Nate’s shoulder, and he can’t help the warmth that blossoms inside him. He loves Ty so much. He would do anything for Ty. He would come out to the world for Ty if that’s what he wanted.  
The transition in the airport is lax. It’s late and they’re tired. They still have to get on a plane and fly from Italy, where they flew down for their cruise with the gang, to Monaco, and then check into their hotel. Finally, their flight is called. Nate and Ty settle in the two seats, and Tyson is asleep on Nate’s shoulder before they take off. Nate isn’t far behind. They get a taxi to the hotel, and conk out in bed.

Nate doesn’t really know what he’s feeling in the morning. Whatever it is, it definitely feels good. He hums and shifts slightly. He feels warm and happy and like there’s no other place he should be. He takes a deep breath and slowly open his eyes. The sight before him is beyond incredible. Tyson’s head is poking out from the blankets where he’s working Nate’s dick with his mouth. His hot, wet mouth is bobbing up and down. Fuck, does it feel amazing. Nate groans and buries his fingers in Ty’s curls. Tyson hums in acknowledgement. The vibrations send Nate gasping and thrusting gently into Ty’s mouth. He didn’t realize how close to coming when he woke up, because as Tyson swirls his tongue around the head, Nate moans and comes hard in Ty’s mouth. Ty’s swallows almost all of it and licks to drop on his lips.   
“Good morning,” he says, smiling.  
“Good morning indeed,” Nate says. He laces his fingers around Ty’s neck and pulls him up for a kiss. He loves how flushes Ty is, his curls sweaty and bouncy, like Nate likes them. He fiddles with one of Ty’s ears as they make out, lazily. He trails one hand down Ty’s back to cup his ass. Ty has a fantastic ass. He’s definitely got that hockey ass going on. He gets a finger between Ty’s cheeks. Ty moans arching forward on top of Nate.  
“You like that, don’t you?” Nate breathes against Ty’s lips.  
“Yes, please, fuck more,” Ty moans. Nate gets his other hand on Ty’s dick. The works the two together; playing with Tyson’s hole, never pushing his dry finger in, and pulling Ty’s dick, getting it wet with just Ty’s precome. Before long, Ty is rocking into Nate’s hand a spurting across his chest.  
“You look so beautiful,” Nate says quietly, as Ty comes down from his orgasm. Ty hums against his chest. They shower, which involves more blowjobs and kissing.  
Nate runs his thumb along Ty’s lower lip under the falling water. “I love kissing you.”  
“Yeah?” Ty asks, his tongue darting out to taste Nate’s thumb.  
Nate hums.  
“Anything else you like doing to me?” Ty asks mischievously.  
“Oh, you know very well that that is a long list.” Nate kisses Ty hard, grabbing a handful of wet curls.   
“What do you want to do first today?” Tyson pants when they finally pull away for air.  
Nate shrugs. “I don’t care as long as I’m with you.”  
Ty blushes. “We could go on this tour down the French Rivera. It’s supposed to be really beautiful.”  
Nate hums and kisses Tyson’s bruise. Ty’s breath stutters in just the way Nate wanted it too.   
“Nate… Nate come on… Are we gonna, shit, go do something?” Ty moans.  
“II thought we were doing something,” Nate teases. He licks across Ty’s jaw, as if to drink the water off of him.   
“No, fuck, like something outside of the room.”  
Nate chuckles and pulls away. “Yeah, we should probably get clean then.” They finish their shower together, washing one another like they always do.   
Ty takes Nate down a few blocks to where the tour boat is docked. They settle in together on a bench next to the side. Nate drapes his arm across Ty’s shoulders. Ty glances at him curious and a little confused.   
“Can we be boyfriends here?” Nate whispers in Ty’s ear.  
Ty sucks in a breath but nods. Nate’s stomach swoops when Ty scoots closer to him on the bench.   
Once the boat is full, it takes off and the tour director starts talking. Nate tunes him out. (He doesn’t speak French.) He leans against Ty and just watches the beautiful water go by. It’s so gorgeous. He soaks in the sun, the feel of the wind on his face and Tyson tucked into his side.   
The tour ends at a different dock then where they started.   
“Wanna get lunch here?” Ty asks.  
Nate nods. “I’m starving.” He glances at his phone, not realizing how long they’d been on the boat. Tyson snaps a quick picture of Nate before they step onto the dock. They slip into a little restaurant, held up by sticks above the water.   
The waiter brings them water in a bottle because Europe doesn’t do tap water. It’s a quick lunch, but a very good one. They hang around the coast, not doing a lot because they have no bathing suits. They get back to the hotel midafternoon and lounge around the pool.   
“Shower then dinner?” Ty suggests.  
Nate nods. “Sounds perfect. I’m starving.” He showers quickly, a lot in the locker room. He’s just there to get the sweat off his body. Ty jumps in after him.   
“Where are we going?” Nate asks through the door.  
“The fancy restaurant in the hotel,” Ty calls back.  
Nate gets into a nice pair of jeans and a clean shirt.  
“You look good.”  
Nate whips around at Ty’s voice. He’s wrapped in a towel, leaning against the bathroom door frame.  
“I’m glad you approve. Now, it’s your turn to get dressed.” Nate sidles up to Ty and kisses him quickly, but deeply. He presses another kiss to Ty’s bruise, before going to sit in a chair with his book.   
They go to the restaurant not five minutes later, because they’re both starving hockey players. The waiter takes them to a private spot in the back of the restaurant. Tyson glances over the wine list while Nate looks at the appetizers.   
“What do you want?” Nate asks.  
Ty shrugs, still looking at the wine list. “Whatever you think will be good.”  
When the waiter comes back, Tyson orders some wine that Nate doesn’t know of, and Nate gets artichoke dip.  
“So, what’s the game plan for this vacation?” Nate asks. He sips at his water just memorizing Ty’s face.  
“I don’t know. I just thought this would be fun.”  
“We should go to the coast,” Nate sighs. “The ocean will be pretty here.”  
Ty smiles. “Okay, that sounds good.”  
Nate looks back down at the menu, not sure what to get. It’s all in French. He hates that.  
“I was also thinking…” Ty starts. His voice is low, and when Nate looks up, he’s the sparkle in his eye, “that we could maybe undress. Those pants look a little tight.”  
Nate clears his throat and shifts in his seat. He doesn’t know what Ty is trying to do.  
“You’re probably already sporting a semi for me, because that’s just how you are.” Nate’s eyes track Tyson’s tongue as it swipes across his lips. “You love having me up your ass, don’t you?” Nate whines a little in his throat. “That bed is so comfortable. It wouldn’t even strain your back. We’d go slow. Make out on those plush pillows. I know that look you get when you see my lips swelling and red. It gets me so hot.” Nate moans, letting his eyes slip close and imagine it. “I’d kiss down you with those swollen lips. It’d feel so good against your skin, so hot and lush. I’d get you wet with my mouth, just to get you started. Nice and slow. So perfect and rhythmic.” Nate manages to stifle his moan this time, but the look in Ty’s eye, makes Nate want to take him here and now. “Then, I’d sit on your face so you could get me all sloppy and wet. Would you do that for me, Nate?” Ty asks, his tone still hushed.  
“Yes, oh fuck yes, Ty. Of course I would.”  
Tyson licks his lips again. “Once I was loose and sloppy, I’d ride you. I’d ride you so hard. It’d feel so good. You know how hot and tight I am. And, you’re so good at hitting my prostate. I’d ride you until we both came, hot and wet.   
Nate moans, but manages to suppress himself as soon as the waiter walks up. He drops the napkin on his lap, hoping to hide the hard on he’s sporting. He barely makes out the words “ready to order?” He never actually got a chance to look at the menu, with all of Ty’s talk. But, Ty orders, so Nate nods along and says he’ll have the same.  
“I hate you,” Nate groans, gulping at his wine.  
Ty just smirks behind his wine glass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Please comment what you thought! If you're so inclined [here](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/) is my Tumblr


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

Nate wakes up first. He loves waking up first. He likes to watch Ty sleep. He always looks so peaceful. Even though he has a baby face anyway, he always looks younger too.   
He really liked the way Tyson woke him up the other morning. He might as well return the favor. He presses a quick kiss to Tyson’s lips before making his way down Ty’s body. He goes slowly, so Ty doesn’t wake up too fast. He kisses down Tyson’s chest, feeling the way he moves underneath him. He pulls the blanket down as he goes, slowly revealing more skin. He brushes his fingers across Ty’s lower abdomen gently. Tyson whimpers in his sleep, turning his head just slight.   
Nate can’t resist the sight of Ty’s exposed neck. He holds himself over Ty and sucks at his jawbone. Ty moans some more, shifting under Nate.   
Nate wiggles his way back down. He takes Tyson’s dick in his hand gently. Ty gasps, still sleeping. Nate presses a chaste kiss to the head, just to see how Ty will react. He lifts his hips just slightly. His eyelids are beginning to flutter. Nate wants to get his mouth around Ty before he wakes up, so he holds it to his mouth and sucks at the head. He gets his mouth around it, just in time for Ty’s eyes to flutter open and gaze down at Nate.  
“Holy shit,” Ty groans, throwing his head back on the pillow. Nate smiles around Ty and really gets to work. Tyson keeps up with the moans, running his hands through Nate, moving his hips in encouragement. Nate loves it. He loves the feel of Tyson in his mouth. He loves hearing the sounds Ty makes. He goes a little deeper, holding before pulling off to breath.  
“Good morning, babe,” Nate says with the smirk in his voice.   
“Morning,” Ty pants. “Are you gonna keep going?”  
Nate chuckles but gets back to work. He uses his free hand to strip his own dick. Pretty quickly, Ty starts to signal that he’s about to come. Nate works his dick fast, going deeper on Ty’s. Just like that he’s coming down Nate’s throat, moaning loud enough for the rest of the hotel to hear. Nate comes off and kneels over Tyson as he gets closer and closer. He lets lose, covering Ty’s chest with his come.  
He settles next to on the bed, pulling him close.  
“That was nice,” Tyson sighs against Nate’s neck.  
Nate hums. He’s a little exhausted, but blissfully so.  
“How’s the beach sound?” Tyson asks, nuzzling Nate’s cheek.  
“Sounds amazing,” Nate says. He sticks his nose in Ty’s hair. He smells like sweat and contentment and sex.   
“Nate, do you… like my hair?” Ty asks.  
“What makes you ask?” Nate says. He can feel how big his grin in.   
“It’s just, you always have your nose in it, or your hands… I don’t know. It just seems like you like it.” He’s looking away from Nate, like he’s self-conscious or shy or something. His face is red, the tips of his ears even more so.   
“Ty, I love your hair. I love how curly it is. I love how it gets even curlier when it’s wet. I love it when it’s wet. You know what else I love about you? I love your ears. I love every squished little inch of them. You know what else I love ab out you?” Now that’s Nate’s started, he doesn’t feel like he can stop, especially with the way Ty’s face continues to get redder, but he doesn’t look able to hold out his grin. “I love your height. I love that you’re short. It makes you fast on the ice. Sometime it makes me worried I have to protect you from the big hits, but that’s another thing I love about you. You may be short, but your built. You have more muscle mass than I could even think of ever developing. I also love the way you smile at me. It makes the heart soar and my stomach swoop. I love the way your hands feel on my body. Their callused and hard, like hockey hands, but also soft and gentle. I love you, Tyson. Every little thing about you. And it seems every day I’m finding something new to love. So, yes. I love your hair.”  
Tyson giggles at that but buries into Nate. “I love you too. I love you so, so much.”  
“I always knew that,” Nate sighs. They take another moment then get up. Tyson goes to shower, but Nate just gets into his bathing suit and calls for room service. By the time Ty’s gotten out of the shower, there’s an array of food on a tray for the two of them.   
“Wow. Thanks babe.” Ty kiss Nate before shoving two pieces of bacon into his mouth.   
“You’re welcome.” They eat quickly and dash out to the beach. It’s not terrible warm but it’s still nice to lay out in the sun. Tyson throws his towel down and Nate puts his close enough that they can touch when they lay down. Ty shakes his head fondly and gets out his book. Nate does the same, brushing his arm against Ty’s.   
About an hour later Ty asks, “Did you put on sunscreen?”  
Nate shakes his head absently, still reading. He hears Ty sighs and shifts. Then, Nate feels cold sunscreen on his very hot back. “Holy shit! Why would you do that?” he exclaims.  
“Because you’re getting sunburnt,” Ty mumbles.   
Nate grumbles but goes back to his book. Ty taps some sunscreen on his nose when he’s finished.  
“Really?”  
Ty just grins.   
The rest of the vacation is sex in the hotel room and lounging on the beach. Nate couldn’t ask for anything better.   
“Ready to go home?” Ty asks as they get their bags settled in the check in line of the airport.  
Nate nods. “It’ll be good to see my family. But, then we’re going to LA.”  
Ty nods. “It’s going to be an amazing summer.”  
They get on separate planes, sadly. Tyson is going to Victoria which as a layover in New York. Nate’s is a nonstop to Nova Scotia. But, with LA around the corner, Nate can’t find it in him to be sad. When he touches down in Nova Scotia, his phone blows up with texts and snaps from Ty during his layover. He’s got a text from Sid saying he’s home too. And from his parents who are waiting for him.   
He collects his bags and find his parents standing on the curb waiting for him. There are hugs all around, like there weren’t enough at Worlds.   
“How was your vacation, honey?” his mom asks as they drive away from the airport.   
“It was amazing. It was nice to just relax with Tyson.”  
His mother smiles in the rearview mirror. “I bet it was, honey. How’s he doing?”   
“He’s great, Mom. Everything is perfect with him.” He can feel his cheeks heat as he talks about Ty, but how could they not. He’s just so with everything right now. The only thing that could make it better is if they could get to the playoffs.   
“That’s wonderful honey.”  
The first thing Nate does when he gets home is cuddle with his dogs. Man, has he missed those dorks. He snaps a picture to Ty, even though he won’t get it for a couple hours when he lands in Toronto.   
He goes across the street to the Crosby house next. Taylor is ecstatic to see him, even though she made sure to give him a hug at Worlds. She tells him all about junior year and how ready she is to be a senior and just get high school over with. It’s nice to finally be back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave comments! My Tumblr is [here](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/) if you're so inclined!


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. School is kicking my ass right now. I also decided I can't produce the quality of chapter that I want in a day or two so I will posting every week, shooting for a day when the Avs play still. Thanks for understanding! Hope you enjoy!

His time in Nova Scotia is spent with parents and Taylor. (They go on way too many shopping trips with Sid’s credit card. To which Sid complains about, but with an underlying smile.)  
His Worlds ring comes in on June 11th and he immediately posts a picture to Instagram. Then, his parents confiscate it and put it on a shelf with all his other trophies and medals. “Until you have a permanent place of your own,” his mom says. (Nate doesn’t think she’ll give it up even then.)  
“How’s Andre?” Nate asks. He, Sid and Taylor are curled up in the basement of the Crosby house watching movies.   
“He’s good. He said he wanted to stay in Pittsburg over the summer and work.”  
Nate nods. “Smart man.”  
“He’s dating our brother, Nate. Like he needs a job,” Taylor teases, prodding at Sid’s side.   
“It’s good that he does though. He said something about taking classes before applying for a new job. But I don’t really know. He was sort of vague.”  
“How’s t feel, Sid?” Nate asks, wiggling his eyebrows.   
Sid sighs while Taylor looks between them, confused. “What does he mean, Sid?”  
“I mean, that Andre knows barely anything about the Crosby family even though they’ve been together for eight months.”  
“What?” Taylor exclaims. “Sid, come on! You have to talk to the people you like!”  
Sid rolls his eyes. “I know. I’m working on it.”  
“Uh huh. Sure.” Taylor rolls her eyes and turns back to the movie.   
“So, you going to talk to your boy over the summer or leave him hanging until you’re back in Pittsburg?” Nate teases softly.  
“You’re awful,” Sid whispers back. 

Two days later, they’re on a plane to LA. Nate gets a text on their layover in Denver that Tyson is in LA and checking into their hotel.  
Nate beams, unable to help himself.   
“Something from Ty?” Sid asks.  
Nate nods. “He’s in LA.”  
Sid nods in return. “Great.”  
Another short flight and Nate and Sid are in LA. They get a rental car and get to the hotel in record time for LA. Nate texts Tyson for their room number and says good bye to Sid until tomorrow. Tonight, it’s all about him and Ty.   
Ty is laying out on the bed when he gets up to their room. Some stupid summer show is one. (Nate remembers when Tyson balked when he told him that he watched them over the summer.)  
“You’re here!” Ty bounces up and hugs Nate. It quickly turns heated, Nate cupping Ty’s jaw and kissing deep into his mouth.   
Ty moans. “Wow, babe. You ready for something?”  
“Fuck, Ty, you know it.” Nate thrusts his hips against Ty’s thigh.   
“Okay, okay. Let’s get your stuff through the door, first.” Ty laughs and grabs one of Nate’s suitcases. 

Their few weeks in LA include training, some tennis, lots of basketball, and lots of lounging around (generally without Sid because he’s always training.) Ty and Nate occasionally get him to go out to dinner with him. He and Ty are walking back from dinner, not in too much of a hurry, when Nate sees it. This right here was one of the biggest reasons he was so onboard with coming to LA this year.   
“Let’s go in,” Nate suggests, looking between Ty and the gay bar pulsing next to them.  
“That’s not a good idea,” Ty says.   
“Come on. Five minutes. Let’s go.”  
Ty bites his lip, looking unwilling. Nate pleads with his eyes, in a way he knows he’ll get his way. Ty finally sighs. “Fine, but only five minutes.”  
Nate beams, and he marches them into the gay club. It’s different, because everyone is so open and free with themselves. Guys are flirting at the bar, and grinding on the dance floor. Girls are there two, but flirting with other girls and dancing with other girls.  
“Wow,” Nate breathes. This is incredible. He’s sure there’s a few places like this in Denver, but it’s not like he could go to any even if he wanted to. He’s too well known in the city. He knows he’s not quite ready to be public, and Tyson sure as hell isn’t.   
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Ty says. His voice is almost lost against the pulse of the music.   
“Why wouldn’t it be? Come on.” Nate pulls Ty deeper into the club to the bar. He orders their usual beers. “Isn’t this so cool?”  
Ty doesn’t look so sure. He takes a long pull from his beer when they come. Nate’s brow scrunches in concern before he does the same thing. Nate watches Ty for a little longer. Whether it’s the bar, or the people in it, or the idea of it all, Ty doesn’t look comfortable, and as much asa Nate wants to experience this, he wants Tyson to feele comfortable even more. “We can go.”  
“Are you sure? You wanted to do this.” Tyson takes another hesitant swig of beer.  
“Yeah, but you don’t look okay. We can go.”  
Tyson’s face floods with relief as they walk back outside. They don’t talk the rest of the walk back to the hotel.   
“Hey, are you okay,” Nate asks carefully, when they get back to their hotel room.  
Ty shrugs. He lays down on the bed and puts his hands behind his head. “That was just weird for me. I never… I never imagined myself in a situation where I would be that comfortable with who I am.”  
Nate cuddles up next to Ty. “And now?”  
Ty shrugs again. “I don’t know.” He tangles his fingers in Nate’s hair. “You know I love you, but I don’t know how I feel about that, ya know?” He shakes his head. “Maybe I’m just not there yet.”  
“And that’s okay,” Nate says. He presses a kiss to Nate’s temple. “It doesn’t matter to me, as long as I’ve got you here beside me.”  
“I love you,” Ty murmurs into Nate’s neck.  
“I love you, too.” Nate let’s Ty cuddle him for a bit before he shifts. “I’m going on the balcony, soak in the night air, read my book.”  
Ty hums. “Maybe I’ll join you,” he says after a beat.   
Nate changes into some sweats and a t-shirt and a pair of warm socks that he’s pretty sure are Ty’s. He definitely pulls Tyson’s Kelowna hoddie over his head before he goes out into the cool California night with his book under his arm.   
He gets through a chapter of his book before Tyson comes out to join him. He smiles and sits down in the other chair with his own book. Nate smiles to himself, trying to keep reading. It’s oddly domestic. Nate’s pretty sure he’s okay with it.   
He tries to ignore Ty’s shuffling. He really does want to read his book, and it’s actually pretty good. Taylor sent it to him, insisting he read it. But, Ty is moving so much, it’s getting impossible to ignore. He finally looks up. Tyson is sitting with his legs open. His hard on is apparent in his sweats. His cheeks are rosy, and he’s biting his bottom lip.   
Nate sighs, giving in and putting his book down. “C’mere.” Ty smiles and waltzes over to Nate and plops down on his lap. Nate smiles and curls his hand to Ty’s face. “You’re gorgeous.”   
Ty leans in and presses his lips to Nate’s. Nate reacts immediately. Ty’s lips are plush and smooth. Nate nips against Ty’s bottom lip. Ty moans lightly and opens up to Nate. He licks into Ty’s mouth. He love how hot it is. He loves how Ty responds; twitching his hips up against Nate’s stomach, moaning a little deeper, tightening his grip on Nate’s hair near the nape of his neck.   
Nate gets his hands around to cup Ty’s ass. He loves feeling it’s fullness in his hands. He also loves the way it makes Ty squirm in his arms and moan into his mouth.   
“More,” Ty pants, canting his hips against Nate’s stomach. “I want… need more.”  
“Okay, babe.” Nate presses one more quick kiss to Ty before standing up, Ty still in his arms. They successfully make it to the bed, moaning against one another. Nate quickly strips Ty of his sweats. Ty is panting, but beaming down at him. Nate smiles and takes the head of Ty’s dick in his mouth. Ty moans and arches of the bed. Nate pulls off and kisses it. He strips his own shirt off, feeling a little too warm.   
“Come on!” Ty begs.   
“Your wish is my command, babe.” Nate takes the head back into his mouth. He plays with the slits, sliding his tongue over it, pushing at it a little. It gets Ty shaking. He bobs a little, taking more of Ty into his mouth.   
“Oh, oh fuck, Nate!” Ty calls out, trying to push himself deeper. Nate has a tight hold on his hips, though, not letting him stray far.   
“You like that babe?” Nate asks, after he’s pulled off. He slinks over Ty’s body to kiss him. He can never get enough of Ty’s lips.   
“Yes, oh fuck Nate. Yes! I need more,” he whines.   
Nate chuckles and sucks at a spot below Ty’s ear. Ty whines thrusting his hips against Nate’s thigh. “Okay, okay.” Nate grabs the lube and sits up a bit. He works Tyson open carefully, trying to pull every sound out of him that he can.   
“I’m ready! Just fuck me already!” Ty says, slapping at Nate’s hand.  
“You’re bossy tonight,” Nate muses as he gets some lube in his hand to get himself slick.   
“Come on, Nate!”  
Nate pulls twice more before lining up at Ty’s hole. He slides in carefully, watching Ty’s face squeeze up in pleasure. “Ready?” Nate teases.  
Tyson gives him a look that Nate takes the liberty of kissing off of Ty’s face. Then, he starts to move. Slowly, at first, working himself up to it. He’s plenty turned on from all their activities, but he wants to be completely ready before he goes for it. He’s also enjoying watching Ty moan under him. It’s a sight he’ll never get used to but always love.   
When Ty reaches up to dig his nails into Nate’s back, Nate really starts to go for it. He braces his arms on either side of Ty’s head and starts to pound into him. Ty’s mouth falls open without sound. He digs his nails in deeper, and Nate knows there will be marks. He can feel is orgasm building in his stomach. It won’t be long before he comes and, he wants Ty right there with him.   
“Nate, Nate, Nate,” Ty pants. Nate keeps going, knowing Ty is close. Two more strokes and Ty is coming, untouched, across is stomach. Nate comes seconds later at the sight, clenching and releasing deep inside Ty. He collapses, careful to fall next to Tyson, who curls up to him instantly.  
“Good?” Nate asks.  
“Don’t fish for compliments,” Ty says with a smile.   
Nate chuckles and kisses Ty’s temple. “I’d glad.” He gets up a little while later to clean them, although Ty has already drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I always love comments if you got 'em! My [Tumblr](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/) if you're so inclined to see the shit I post!


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, wow... It's been a long time since I posted. I'm so sorry. I've been consumed with my photography of my NAHL team. They made it to Nationals!! Anyway, here's the next chapter!!! Thanks for waiting! Hope you enjoy!

Andre comes to town near the end of their trip in LA. He surprises Sid by coming to their training facility while they’re still going at it. Nate notices him first while he and Ty are getting water He smirks and nudges Ty, who turns at the prompting. “Hey Sid!” Nate calls to where Sid is still working. “I think someone’s here to see you.”  
Sid stops his sprints halfway through to look up. He scowls at Nate first (for interrupting), then looks to the door where Andre is standing. He breaks out into a smile Nate doesn’t think he’s ever seen on Sid’s face. “You’re here?”   
Andre nods, walking into the training facility. “I had to see you. I don’t think I could’ve stood another minute in Pittsburg without you.”  
Nate looks over at Tyson, thinking about spending the summer without him. It would be so hard. He’s not sure how they did before. It seems impossible now.   
“We’re gonna go. Dinner tonight?” Ty asks Sid.  
Sid nods slightly. “I’ll see you guys later.”  
Nate smiles knowingly to Ty before they make their escape. “They are really cute together.”  
Ty nods. “I’m sure you’re glad Sid’s got someone.”  
Nate nods, exasperated. “There was a time I never thought I would hear the end of the Zheyna love story.”  
Ty chuckles. “I’m sure that was wonderful.”  
Nate stares hard at Ty before they get in their rental car. “I promise you don’t want to know.”  
They get in the car and head back to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon by the pool. Tyson lathers Nate in sunscreen, despite him calling Nate a ghost. Nate tries to read some of another book Taylor sent him. But, he ends up dozing. He wakes up after a short nap to find his book resting on the table next to his chair. He silently thanks Tyson, knowing it was probably his doing when Nate drifted off.   
“Good nap?”  
Nate rolls his head to look at Ty next to him. He sitting up, reading a book. He looks a little pink, but it might just be the heat. He nods, head listing a bit. The heat might be getting to his head a bit, and between it and the nap he’s feeling a little floaty. It’s a good kind of floaty.   
“Want to get it?” Ty says motioning to the pool.  
Nate thinks about it for a second. “Only if you’re getting in too.”  
Ty smiles. “Of course.” He puts his book down to stand and stretch. He glances at Nate as he does. “You need more sunscreen first, though.”  
“Says the boy who’s turning pink,” Nate chirps.  
Ty shakes his head and grabs at the sunscreen. He massages it gently into Nate’s skin. The pressure of his hands feels good in his sore muscles from their training earlier. Ty’s fingers are careful and gentle as he smooths the lotion across Nate’s back and shoulders. He rubs gently at Nate’s neck. Nate’s head lists a little more at the touch. Ty’s hands have always been strong and felt good, but this is different. This has intent and careful purpose. The lotion is cool on his skin, taking away some of the heat of the sun. Nate feels loose and warm when Ty finishes   
“Ready?” Ty asks.  
Nate really feels ready to take another nap, but the happy and content look on Ty’s face, makes him want to do anything Ty wants. Ty dives in the pool, and Nate can’t help but admire the way the water rolls off his back and shoulders when he emerges. The water instantly curls his hair and flattens it at the same time, the way Nate loves so much.   
“Coming?” Ty asks, with a glimmering smile on his face.  
And fuck, of course Nate is coming when Ty smiles like that. He joins Ty in the cool water. It feels even better than the lotion did on his skin, although Ty’s massage was stellar.   
Ty swims towards his, latching onto Nate’s back. They play in the water, cooling off and heating up at the same time.   
“Do you wanna go upstairs?” Nate asks.   
Ty nods. “It’s probably time to go to dinner.”  
Nate has to close his eyes, holding in a sigh. He’d forgotten dinner with Sid and Andre. If he had it his way, they’d be going upstairs to do a lot more than just get changed. Ty must see it on his face, because he gives Nate a face before shaking his head.  
Nate doesn’t stop himself from staring as Ty lifts himself out of the water, back muscles flexing and dripping wet, bathing suit hugging the gorgeous ass. Nate gets out of the water too, knowing that if he doesn’t Ty and Sid are going to ream him.   
They’re quick to change, because they are truly about to be late for dinner. They get there just in time. Neither Sid nor Andre even have drinks yet.  
“Hey guys!” Andre says when Nate and Ty sit down across the table from them.   
“How are you?” Nate asks. “Didn’t expect to see you this summer.”  
“Yeah. Things are looking pretty good with everything in Pittsburg, so I figured a vacation was in order. And then of course, where else would I go, but into the arms of this hunk?” He winks at Sid, who blushes and looks back at his menu.  
“I hated last summer, when I only got two weeks with Nate,” Ty says.  
“Two weeks?” Andre exclaims. “In four months? That’s crazy. I don’t think I could handle that.”  
Nate gives him a funny look. “Aren’t you though? Like, weren’t you guys not going to see each other at all over the summer?”  
“Is that what Sid told you?” Andre asks, eyeing Sid with a sideways glare.  
Sid glares back up at Andre, and Nate’s never known someone who’s been able to fend off that look, not even Taylor, but the way this looks like it’s going, Andre isn’t going to back down.  
“Yes, that’s what I said,” Sid says with venom, still looking at Andre.  
“So, you didn’t want to share the month long cabin tripped we planned to take after you hockey school with seemingly your younger brother?” Andre asks pointedly.  
Nate glances at Ty, not knowing what to do. He can’t tell if this fight is teasing or honest. He hopes the former.   
The rest of dinner goes smoothly. Andre and Sid are enraptured with each other, and Nate couldn’t be happier for them. With his own boyfriend sitting next to him, nothing could’ve made this a better night. They say goodbye to Sid and Andre once they’re done and head back to the hotel.   
Nate has as much trouble keeping his hands off Ty in the lobby and in the elevator has he did before dinner. There are people in the elevator, and he’s pretty sure they wouldn’t appreciate him groping his boyfriend.   
He does manage to wait until they’re back in their hotel room to start ravaging Ty’s mouth. Ty moans under him and runs his fingers through Nate’s hair. They do it right there against the door, beyond caring who hears. 

Leaving LA is one of the hardest things Nate has to do. He may be excited about the rest of his summer, but leaving Ty is almost impossible. They kiss languidly the morning of their flights, just delaying the inevitable.   
Sid is already at the airport by the time they get there. Nate’s already received several angry texts from him about missing their flight. Tyson hugs him goodbye and heads off to his own flight. Sid doesn’t say anything, just lets him be miserable on the flight back to Nova Scotia.   
Working at Sid’s hockey school is fantastic. Nate snaps pictures of the kids to Tyson when he can. He loves working with the kids and watching them get better as the weeks go on. Sid says goodbye to Nate in late July after the last camp is over to go on his trip with Andre. It leaves Nate more miserable than ever. Taylor constantly chirps him about it, trying to get him out of his slump. He spends most days playing with his dogs and training. He talks Ty every night. It should help, but it doesn’t. It just emphasizes the distance between them. The end of summer can’t come soon enough.   
When the wheels of the airplane touch down at DIA in late August, Nate is practically bouncing in his seat. He’s so ready to see Tyson and go play in Vail. Sid puts a hand on his knee to keep him from shaking out of his skin.   
Tyson is waiting by the baggage claim, and Sid has to keep a hand on Nate’s wrist to keep him from bolting at him and probably kissing in the middle of a very public airport. Tyson looks just as strained as Nate feels. He sticks close as Nate finds his bags, brushing Nate’s arms or shoulder every so often.   
When the get to the car and Ty starts to take the driver’s seat, Sid cuts him off. “I’m driving. You two sit the in the back, but please don’t do anything gross.”  
Nate chuckles but pulls Tyson in next to him. He kisses Ty deep and unrelenting. It feels good to have Ty back in his arms. He wishes they never had to be apart. Sid drives them all the way to Vail (only an hour and half drive.)   
They check into their hotel they’ll have for the two weeks. Nate is shaking inside, with the effort not to take Ty apart right there in the lobby. The elevator ride is torturous, but once they get to their shared room, everything is abandoned. Luggage, frame of mind, clothes. All of it, out the window. Nate pulls Ty in gently, wanting everything to be perfect. He caresses his face, looking into Ty’s eyes, wanting to see nothing else ever again. They kiss gently, working their way to the bed. Nate sits down, pulling Ty along with him. He cups Ty’s ass through his shorts. Ty moans into the kiss and deepens it. Nate thrusts his hips up gently, pressing their dicks together through the fabric of their shorts. It sends sparks through Nate’s spine, and he just wants more.   
Tyson winds his fingers into Nate’s hair, nail scratching his scalp. It’s Nate’s turn to moan, and he tightens his grip on Tyson’s ass. “There’s too many clothes here,” Nate pants into Tyson’s mouth.   
“Way too many,” Tyson agrees.   
Nate pulls back just enough to get his shirt off. Tyson follows, quickly, in suit. Nate pulls Ty in for another slow kiss, dragging a long moan from Ty. He flips them so Tyson is on his back, and Nate looms over him. Tyson grips the bedspread when Nate licks along his jawline. He teases Ty’s earlobe with his teeth and worries Ty’s nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. Ty moans and arches into it. “You like that?” Nate whispers low in Ty’s ear.  
Ty nods is response, pressing his hips up, trying to get friction.   
After a little more teasing, Nate fucks Ty nice and slow. He takes them both over the edge, truly making love to Tyson, happy to be back in his arms.   
He strokes Tyson’s hair as the cuddle together, too tired to do anything else but loving each other’s presence that they’ve been missing all summer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are very much appreciated. Come join on my on Tumblr [here](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/)


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance...

Vail is only a short week of hockey. Nate loves every second of it, getting to play hockey with his brother and the love of his life. Their team wins, and they head back to Denver for another year. Before training camp, he and Tyson are never apart. He films this awful video of Ty being a dumbass in his kitchen, wearing a bear head and dribbling a basketball. Of course, he posts it to Instagram. He loves having his own place, since Max got traded. Part of that is Tyson can spend as much time over as they want, and they can do whatever they want with that time. (It includes a lot of sex. A lot.)  
Training camp comes and whips their asses, just like everyone else on the team. They go out for meals and hang out with everyone like normal and things are great. Preseason comes and goes. The beginning of the season is pretty great. They win more than they lose which is great. Tyson and Nate are generally together at all times, no matter who’s place they’re at.  
Sid’s in town for a game against them, so they make plans to go out to the cheesecake factory, because where else would they go with Sid? But, when they get there, they’re surprised to see Andre standing right alongside Sid.  
“Hey!” They call. They greet each other with hugs and handshakes.  
“What are you doing here?” Ty asks.  
Andre chuckles.  
“You will not believe what Andre did.” Sid sounds excited and out of breath.  
Nate rolls his eyes, because he’s not sure he wants to know what Andre did. They are seated in the restaurant and given their menus.  
“You’re going to tell me aren’t you?” he asks.  
“Obviously,” Sid chuckles.  
“Well?” Nate prompts, looking from Sid to Andre.  
“You remember he was studying all summer, right?”  
“Yeah, I do,” Nate says eyeing Andre. “I remember thinking it was funny that he wouldn’t tell you anything about it. Kinda gave you a taste of your own medicine there.” They all laugh a little about it.  
“Yeah, yeah,” Sid whines. “Anyway, he was picking up some more classes for the career he decided he wanted to persue.” Both Sid and Andre have huge smiles at this point, like blinding smiles, ear-to-ear, the whole nine yards.  
“Which is?” Ty asks.  
“Trainer for the Pittsburg Penguins,” Andre says.  
Nate mouth drops.  
“No way,” Tyson exclaims.  
Sid nods. “There was a position open at the beginning of the summer. Andre saw it and decided to take some class so he’d fulfill everything he needed to apply. And now-“  
“He works for you,” Nate interups.  
Tyson and Andre chuckle, while Sid flounders a little.  
“I mean, not really? He works for the team.”  
“Sid,” Tyson says, “you are the team.”  
Sid makes a face as the rest of the table laughs. “I am not the team. I’m just the captain.”  
Nate gives a look that says he isn’t buying it.  
That’s when the waitress comes up to take their drink orders. The rest of dinner goes well. There’s some ribbing about tomorrow’s game, but nothing out of the ordinary.  
While they’re waiting outside for their valet, and Sid and Andre are waiting for their Uber, Tyson says, “You guys probably have sex in the trainer’s room all the time, don’t you?”  
It gets everyone laughing, even Sid.  
Andre shakes his head. “No, Sid won’t do it. He’s too scared of getting caught.”  
Sid’s blush is telling, when Nate looks over. They say their good nights as the valet hands Nate his keys.  
They lose in overtime the next night, but Sid congratulates them on a hard-fought game.  
But, things start to go downhill from there. Nate doesn’t really think much of it at first. There are times where he plays with Ty’s hair or touches some skin where Ty will blush and pull away. Or other times out with the team, Ty will sit on the opposite side of the table from him, something he hasn’t done since Nate’s first couple of weeks on the team. They still drive to the rink together. They still are in each other’s space more than anything. But, sometimes it makes Nate worry.  
Tyson is laying on Nate’s couch one night, head in Nate’s lap, just watching TV, when he picks up a phone call. He moves out of the room, and Nate can’t hear what’s being said. But, when Ty comes out, his face is drawn and he says he’s going to sleep at his own place tonight.  
Nate doesn’t get much sleep. He tosses and turns all night, thinking about Tyson. They haven’t slept apart since the summer. It doesn’t sit well with Nate.  
But, the next day, Tyson comes to pick him up at the rink and everything’s fine.  
American Thanksgiving rolls around. They have time off, which they spend together. They have a feast at Matt’s house with Gabe and his girlfriend. The dogs run around and Nate chases after them (that’s before the feast). Afterwards they watch the Bronco play, lounging on one of Matt’s huge couches.  
After Thanksgiving, Nate starts to get excited for Christmas and the Mile-High Gala. Tyson has agreed to come home with him for Christmas, since he went to Ty’s place last year. He warns Ty about the crazy family situation, but Ty just kisses him and says he’ll be fine.  
Sometime before Christmas, Tyson’s family comes down. During that time, Tyson stays at his place, and for the most part, so does Nate. He likes Tyson’s family, but Len seems a bit cold. Not like he didn’t before but this seems different. Nate takes a picture of Ty and Victoria in front of a gorgeous Christmas tree on a walk downtown one night. Tyson smiles his thanks and posts it to Instagram.  
They win their last game before the Christmas break. It’s nice to have that under their belt, but a little scary, not knowing if they can keep the momentum rolling coming into a break.  
Christmas is chaotic. Nate should’ve known it’d be bad. Both he and Sid came home with boys, so of course, Taylor is a menace. She’s nagging both Andre and Tyson, but they both seem enamored with her and don’t care that she’s laying across their laps and shouting. While sort of sweet, both Sid and Nate find her extremely annoying.  
Nate shows Ty around Cole Harbor. It’s small and there’s not much, but it’s his home and he wants to show it off to Tyson. Tyson seems happy to walk around at night, bundled up to keep warm. Nate shows him all his favorite spots as a kid, and where he played hockey. They get Timmy’s at some point and watch the waves crash against a dock.  
Christmas is scarily chaotic. Somehow, both the Crosby’s and the MacKinnon’s knew about BOTH boys that joined this year, so there are presents to go around. There are kisses and hugs and pie (that Tyson basically hoards for himself) and hot chocolate and eggnog (that Taylor can’t drink) and stories and crackling fireplaces. Both Andre and Tyson are a hit with the families. It makes Nate happy to have the approval of his family. He can see that Ty feels a little out of place with all these people he doesn’t know, but Nate stay near his side for comfort. He can see a similar situation with Sid and Andre. They both know how crazy this is, and to be honest, Nate should’ve thought about it more before bringing Ty home. These people now know who he is and what he means to Nate. That can’t be overlooked in any circumstances, and Nate just hopes Ty’s okay with it. That night, when the families are gone, and they’re cuddled together in the dark, Tyson kisses away all Nate worries.

When they get back, Nate convinces Tyson to make the Gala a secret date, because he wants to take Ty on a date. He’s so fucking giddy for the weeks leading up to it he can hardly contain himself. He and Ty had been asked to do the boys’ interviews. What could be better than spending the entire evening with his boyfriend, out or not? He could barely get ready; he was shaking so badly. He told Ty he wanted to get dressed and for him to pick him up. It was more fun that way. Like a real date.  
By the time Ty comes to pick him up, he’s about to burst.  
“Woah, calm down there, babe,” Ty says when Nate opens the door. “What’s going on?” Ty walks into the apartment with a look of concern on his face. Couldn’t he see the pure excitement on Nate’s face? Doesn’t he understand how important this is?  
Finally, Nate can’t stand it anymore. He grabs Ty by the lapels of his jacket and pulls him in for a kiss. Tyson’s taken aback but quickly gets with it. His lips moved against Nate’s in just the right way to pull a moan from him. Nate stiffens in his pants, ready for more, even if they have somewhere to be.  
Suddenly, Tyson pushes him back. He searches Nate’s face, trying to figure out the reason behind the frantic kiss. “Nate are you okay? Is everything okay?” he asks.  
Nate gives him a puzzled look. “Of course! Everything’s perfect. Don’t you see that?”  
Tyson shakes his head.  
“Ty,” Nate blushes, ducking his head trying to contain his overwhelming excitement, “we get to go to the Gala together. Whether or not the public actually knows, I’m taking my boyfriend, my partner, to a public event.”  
“Hey, who says it’s you taking me?” Tyson retorts automatically, then pauses and smiles. They both collapse in laughter. When they calm down, Tyson smiles fondly at the over-the-moon expression on Nate’s slightly scarred face. “This is gonna be great.” He kisses Nate’s forehead, even though Nate is taller. “Come on man, we gotta go. We’re probably late as it is,” Ty says glancing at his watch.  
Nate smiles and lets Ty lead him out of the apartment complex. It is going to be a great night.

Tyson’s always been the more outgoing of the two. Part of that is Nate has been here less years, he just began to figure out the true dynamic the team at the end of last season. It been easier with Ty, being accepted and a part of the jokes. Between Ty and his steadily growing friendship with Gabe, he quickly became a part of the core of the team. But, it made more sense for Ty to take the lead on the interviews. It also gave Nate the perfect opportunity to check Tyson out. He looks really good in his suit, like really good.  
Ty is still talking with Chris when the camera stops rolling for a bit. Nate is smiling at Ty. He loves the energy coming off him tonight. It’s a different type of energy than during a game. It’s more bubbly and playful rather than focused and strong, but it’s still contagious.  
Picks knocks him with his elbow. “Hey.”  
Nate looks up at him.  
“You’re really in love with him aren’t you?”  
Nate stares at Picks for a second. Of course he loves Ty. He’s known that for a long time now. But, it’s more than that. Nate doesn’t know what he would do if he lost Tyson. He knows it’s a possibility, with Ty being a restricted free agent after the season. He likes to imagine he and Ty playing together for the Avs until the end of their careers, even though he knows it might not be realistic. He wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with Tyson. There’s no doubt in Nate’s mind that this is the man for him.  
“Yeah,” he says, “I really do.”  
Picks chuckles. “Well, good luck.”  
“Thanks.” Nate knows he’ll need it.  
“Ready for the next one?” Ty asks, lingering a little too close for a “bro”.  
“Course.”  
He and Ty find Dutchy pretty quickly after and get the camera rolling. The hardest part about the night, has been dealing with Ty basically flirting with all the other guys. Nate knows it doesn’t mean anything, being all the guys are straight and most have girlfriends or wives. It still gets on his nerves. Ty goes on and on about Matt’s suit, Matt’s hair. He pulls EJ over. They discuss wardrobe malfunctions and EJ’s scraggly beard.  
Then Matt says, “Are you interviewing the boys or hitting on all the boys?” Matt laughs  
Nate laughs into his hand at Ty’s frazzled expression. Neither of them can believe Matt just said that. EJ is laughing his head off as Nate leans over to the mic to say, “No, we’re busy. We’re busy.”  
Ty stumbles for a minute trying to come up with a comeback and ends up with, “Well, I can’t get a date any other way,” as Matt pulls him in for a side hug. 

After the rest of the interviews, they are pulled aside for their own interview. “Kinda grade each other’s outfits. I guess well first of all, let’s go to Nathan…” the interviewer says, turning to Ty.  
Nate tries his hardest not to blush, thinking about Ty giving him public compliments, something he’s never done in public in front of so many people who don’t know, can’t know what they are. It’s a night for a lot of firsts.  
“One of the youngsters on the team.”  
“Yeah,” Ty starts in, “Great style, great suit. Real nice taper, great shoes. Good looking cat. I’m gonna give him a ten. It’s a no brainer.”  
Nate knows he’s blushing, but he hopes the camera can’t pick up on it. That would be bad, but… maybe not too bad.  
“The shoes are kinda good today,” says the interviewer. He turns to Nate. “The goal scorer lately. He’s been a goal scorer. What do you think of the outfit? He’s going for a little bit of color.”  
Nate can’t help himself as he goes to talk about Ty. He never really can seem to help himself. “He’s been like third star of the week. He didn’t even have to try today, but he showed up. He looks nice. Nice and tight, ya know? He’s got the belt even though he doesn’t need it. It fits great.” (A little too great if you ask Nate.) “This guy’s an eleven for me. He’s… he’s beautiful.”  
Tyson is looking at the ground when he finishes. Nate can’t read the expression on his face, and he’s a little concerned.  
The interviewer asks them a few more questions before heading off. Nate giggles when he does. He’s always looking for an excuse to compliment Tyson. He might have gone a bit over board, but it’s not like it really matters. When he looks over, he can finally see what Ty is feeling: uncomfortable. “Ty come on. It’s all in the spirit of the charity. What’s up?”  
Ty just shrugs, glancing around.  
Nate crowds a little closer. “Seriously, babe, what’s up?”  
Ty shakes his head and pushes Nate away. “Don’t call me that when we’re in public.”  
“What, seriously?” Why is he doing this now? They’re having a really good time, aren’t they? “No one could hear that, Ty. No one cares.”  
“I care!” Ty exclaims.  
Nate’s eyes widen. Ty… Ty doesn’t want him to call him by their pet names? “You… you care?”  
“Yeah, Nate, I care. Like I get that you’re having fun with this secret date and all, but it’s making me edgy. Someone could find out.”  
“Dude, no one’s gonna find out. You’re my best friend. Everyone knows that.”  
“Can we…” Ty starts, glancing around again. “Can we just go to the dessert table?”  
Nate sighs. “Yeah. Yeah let’s go.” He keeps his distance, not standing as close to Ty as he normally would. It’s weird. It goes against all his natural instincts. He wants to hold Ty’s hand. He wants to feel Tyson up against his side. It’s making him jittery.  
Gabe starts chirping Ty about desserts but Nate can’t focus. Does Ty not want him anymore? Does he not mean the same to Ty as Ty means to him?  
Gabe is giving him a weird look. So it Ty. Why is Ty looking at him like that? He’s the reason he’s questioning everything. They just hit two years. Why is Ty doing this?  
“We’re gonna go,” Ty says softly to Gabe. “Give Coach our excuses.”  
Gabe nods. “Go.”  
Nate is shaking. Absolutely shaking. First Tyson takes away their secret date, now he’s taking away the night entirely. On top of the that, Nate has no idea what Ty wants. What could he possibly want to leave for. He could just leave Nate here if he doesn’t want to do the dating thing anymore. Nate could find a ride home. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal. But, he does need to talk to Tyson. He needs to know what’s going on or it’s going to drive him mad.  
Ty puts his hand on the small of Nate’s back. It gives him a little hope but not much. Not after the way Ty reacted. He seemed so lost. Like he was scared of coming out. It’s 2016. The hockey world is ready. Nate doesn’t understand Ty’s fear… if that’s what it is.  
Ty is silent the whole way back to Nate’s apartment. That scares Nate. If they’re at his place, Ty might leave. Ty might leave him. Plus, they’re never at Nate’s apartment. They only got it because management wanted them too.  
Nate is pacing around his living room, while Ty slowly closes the apartment door. Nate can hear the slightly click of the lock sliding into place. Ty goes around the rest of the apartment, closing curtains and tightly as possible. He then takes some time to settle down Duke down. Ty gives him a bone, that he’s content to chew on while his dads pace and scowl at each other.  
“Nate, what’s going on?” he asks when he finally joins Nate.  
“I should be the one asking that, Ty. What the hell is going on with you? You show up here, so willing and eager to kiss me. Just like normal. That Ty is the Ty I know. I don’t know where he went tonight. Things were going great. What the fuck happened? One second my boyfriend is there, the next he’s replaced by a pod person who doesn’t know who the hell he is, or who we are! What the fuck Ty?” Nate collapses on the couch, face in his hands.  
“Nate,” Tyson sighs. He crouches down in front of Nate. “I’m scared. I’m so fucking scared.”  
“Of what?”  
“Of coming out.”  
“Who the fuck cares?” Nate screams jumping to his feet, practically kicking Ty. “It 20-fucking-16 Ty. It’s not that big of a fucking deal. Gay marriage is legal-“  
“Yeah, and there are protests every day. There are assholes everywhere, Nate. Even more in our profession. They’re trying. I know they are, but I don’t think it’s safe yet.”  
“No, Ty. I think I get what you’re getting at. And, no, it’s not gonna be easy. It’s probably gonna be a fucking disaster at first. The media will be a shit storm. People may protest. People may think worse of us, but who. Fucking. Cares. That’s their problem. It’s not like it effects our hockey, other than making it better. It’s not like we’re any different people than we were before. No, Ty, it’s not gonna be fucking easy, but nothing that ever means anything is.”  
Tyson stares at Nate for a second.  
“Nate, I just, don’t know how.”  
“How to what? Be yourself? Be with the person you care about? Because that’s what it fucking sounds like.”  
“Nate….” Ty says softly, “Do you want to come out?”  
Nate shurgs. “I don’t know. But if someone heard me call you babe, or compliment you too much I would totally be okay with it. I don’t really want to deal with the PR nightmare, but I would do it for you.” He stops for a second. Ty’s eyes are so big and wide and full of tears, threatening to spill over. Rivers are already running down Nate’s cheeks. “But, I have a feeling you wouldn’t do the same for me.”  
Tyson takes a shaky breath and the tears do start running then. “What do you want me to say Nate?”  
“The truth! I want to you to tell me if you want this! I want you to tell me if you’ll stand up for me! I want to know if I’ll always have you by my side! Because, Ty, I thought we had something. I really did. But, now I’m not sure. I don’t know what you want. But, I know what I want. I really do.”  
“You want the truth?”  
Nate nods.  
“The truth is I don’t know where I am right now. Matt asked me if I was flirting with the boys on camera. You comment to the interviewer, while greatly appreciated, threw me off. I know I have really strong feelings for you. But I’m terrified of coming out. There are so many uncertainties. I don’t know how the fans will react. I don’t know how the NHL will react. I don’t know how the club will react. I don’t know how it will affect my career. My stuff isn’t set in stone, Nate. I don’t have a contract that extends past this season. It might be easy for you to think about, number one over all. We can’t always think with our hearts, Nate. Sometimes we have to think with our head.” Ty swallows, fiddling with the necklace Nate gave for him at Christmas.  
“So, that’s it then?” Nate asks.  
Ty doesn’t say anything, just stares at the ground.  
“Ty, don’t do this.”  
“This is me thinking with my head, Nate. Hockey has always been it for me, even when things were shaky. This… this part of me is something I didn’t think I would ever pull out of the box that it was locked in. But, you were different. You were special. You are special. You will always be special. But, this is where it has to end. I can’t follow you down that path. I have to lock this all away. I can’t take it back out again. I’m… I’m so sorry Nate.”  
“Yeah me too.” Nate has to look at the ground to keep from sobbing uncontrollably. He doesn’t want this to affect him like this. He wants to be able to hold it together. He’s not sure he can, if Ty stays too much longer. “Leave.”  
“Huh?”  
“Leave, Ty. This is it. Go!” He screams by the end.  
It startles Tyson, but it gets him moving.  
When Nate hears the door shut, he collapses. He can’t hold himself up anymore. He curls into a ball on the floor, sobs racking his chest. He doesn’t try to hold back the tears. He just lost the love of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on [Tumblr](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/)


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a little something for the last game of the season! Always rooting for my boys!

As much as Nate tries to not let it affect his game, it does. He can’t focus on anything. His mind keeps wandering back to Tyson, and he loses the puck or, even worse, loses and edge and falls. He can’t focus at all. It’s just not happening. He can see the disapproving looks from Roy and Gabe. Tyson is avoiding him, which is making the whole locker room squirm. He yells at the rookies in the locker room and on the bench until Gabe forces him to sit down and shut up.  
They lose the next three games. After the third, Nate is shouting at no one, at everyone. Eventually he does actually turn on Tyson. He doesn’t know what he’s yelling. All he feels his anger and hurt and desperation and the tears running down his face.   
Someone comes up behind him and wraps their arms around him. His anger is suddenly turned on them. He kicks and screams. He does everything to break free until he’s a sobbing mess on the ground, half dressed, face still red from the game. Danielle, the team’s PR manager, is waiting just inside the door with the press pushing to get in.   
Nate is finally able to tell that it’s Gabe behind him. Gabe drags him up and into the showers, even though he’s not completely undressed. Danielle nods at the rest of them, a silent, “You better not say anything to the media,” before letting them in.   
Nate is still shaking with sobs, when Gabe gets him into the showers. “Get undressed. Get showered. We’re going home as soon as possible.” Nate nods and waits until Gabe is gone to finish undressing. When he turns on the water, he takes a deep breath. It feels good, but he can’t stop crying. The tears keep coming. He washes himself methodically, and when he’s finished there’s a towel hanging and his gear has disappeared. He towels off his hair, and wraps it around his waist. Most of the other guys are showering now. Gabe is absent, which Nate takes as he’s showering at home.   
He’s right. Gabe is dressed and pacing by Nate’s stall. “Dressed, now.” He demands as soon as sees Nate.   
Nate quickly changes into his game day suit and follows Gabe out of the locker room. He keeps his head down as they walk. He knows he messed up. He knows he messed up big time. Gabe doesn’t speak to him the entire drive back to the house.   
Mel is inside, and smiles sadly at Nate. Gabe’s dog greets him at the door. Nate barely acknowledges her. He’s just really tired and all he wants to do is sleep. Gabe catches his eye before he can wander away. Nate follows him into the living room and sits down on the couch.   
“Nate,” Gabe pauses and sighs. “Nate, I think you need to take a break. Go to Florida. Go home. Something.”  
“But-“  
Gabe stops him. “Just do it. Coach will understand. It’ll get you away from Ty for a bit, give you time to clear your head.”  
Nate takes a deep breath and nods. He gets it. He does need to cool down, figure out how to get his head back in the game.   
“You can sleep here tonight,” Gabe says. “There’s a bedroom in the back.”  
Nate nods. He wanders back to his room. He changes into sweats and flops onto his bed. He pulls his laptop out and books a flight before even thinking about it.   
In the morning, he realizes he isn’t home, and he needs to pack. Gabe and Mel are both already up. Mel is making food and joking with Gabe from across the breakfast bar.  
“Uh, Gabe?” Nate asks, scratching the back of his head.  
“Yeah?” he says without looking up from his newspaper.  
“Could you, maybe, take me to my place, then the airport?” Nate asks.  
That makes Gabe turn around. He sees Nate with his bag from the night before. “Now?” he asks, surprised.  
“Uh, yeah. I might miss my flight otherwise.”  
“Holy shit, Nate.”  
“Please?”  
Gabe sighs. “Get in the car.”  
Nate gives a slight smile before walking out.  
He lingers just long enough to hear Gabe kiss Mel and say he’ll be right back.  
He sits in the car a little impatiently, his leg bouncing. He just wants to get out here for a while, like Gabe said.   
“I didn’t expect you to leave so soon,” Gabe says when he gets in the car.  
“I just… I just didn’t really think about it, just booked a ticket,” Nate says quietly.  
“I know what you’re going through isn’t easy, and I really do hope you and Ty figure things out.” Gabe is turned around, backing out of the driveway.  
Nate sniffles a little. “That probably won’t happen. If anything, we’ll probably deal with each other because we’re on the same team.”  
“Oh, come on,” Gabe says. He turns a street corner and parks in the guest parking for Nate’s apartment. “You don’t hate him that much.”  
Nate shakes his head immediately before getting out of the car. “I don’t hate him at all. I love him, with everything I have.” He hops out of the car to run upstairs. He grabs a bag that he always keeps half packed. He throws a few more things in, leaving the toiletries for last.  
He runs outside and slides back into the car they’re off.  
“What airline.”  
“Southwest.”   
Gabe chuckles, “Of course you picked the crapiest airline out there. It’s not like you can’t afford it.”  
Nate shrugs. “It was the first one that appeared.”  
“You really did this fast, didn’t you?” Gabe asks, concerned.  
“Without thinking, last night. I just want to get away from it, like you said. It will be good for both of us,” Nate sighs.  
“There’s no way that kid doesn’t feel the same. You should’ve seen the look on his face when you were screaming at him. That’s not the look of hate, bud.”  
Nate shakes his head. “No he hates me. He hates what I am, what he is.”  
Gabe sighs. “It’s hard to see now, bud,” Gabe pulls up to the curb of DIA, a quick trip from the outskirts of Denver, “but he’ll come around.”  
Nate gives Gabe a small smile. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”  
Gabe smiles and hugs Nate across the consol. “Good luck.”  
Nate gets out and grabs his suitcase out of the back. He checks in and checks, then thinks to call Sid. He gets voicemail as he walks to security. “Hey Sid,” he sighs. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you or anything, but do you think you can pick me up at the airport in a couple hours? I’ll text you my flight information. Thanks so much, man.” He hangs up and does as he says and texts Sid the flight info. He slings his backpack onto the conveyer belt and loads the rest of his stuff (phone, keys, ticket, wallet, shoes, jacket, hat, and sunglasses) into a bin. He waits his turn to walk through the metal detector. It goes off, much to his surprise. The attendants check around his neck.   
“Your necklace, sir,” the woman says.  
Nate’s hand flies to his throat. He forgot about the necklace Ty gave him. He never took it off, even after Ty broke up with him. He couldn’t bear too. “Sorry.” He quickly unclasps it and hands it over.  
“Walk through again,” she instructs him.  
He does as he’s told and found to be clean. She hands him his necklace back, and he goes to get his stuff. He thinks about shoving the necklace deep into his backpack and forgetting about it, but doesn’t. He keeps feeling his neck, feeling its absence. He eventually puts it back on and gets out of the way.  
He barely makes it to the gate on time. He sits in the front row, the luck of first class, even the cheap shit on Southwest. He barely has enough room for his legs. It’s a miserable flight, for many reasons, but he does make it to Pittsburg in one piece.   
He turns off airplane mode on his phone and finds several outraged texts from Sid followed by a few mundane ones saying things like “I’ll be there” and “Parked the car” and “I’m by baggage claim”. Nate sighs in relief that Sid did actually come. He doesn’t read the outraged texts. He probably knows what they say anyway, with how well he knows Sid.   
He finds Sid immediately when he gets to baggage claim. He’s even grabbed Nate’s bag already. He hugs Sid, without thinking, burying his face in Sid’s chest like a child. He can’t even begin to express how happy he is that Sid is here.  
“Hey, hey,” Sid says quietly, holding Nate out at arms-length. “Let’s get back to my place, then we’ll talk.”  
Nate nods and grabs his bag and follows Sid out to his car. The ride is silent, because Sid is weird and doesn’t listen to music in the car, and Nate is too emotionally exhausted to turn some on. He rests his head on the window and watches the unfamiliar streets of Pittsburg pass by.   
Nate rolls his eyes as Sid pulls into the long driveway of Mario Lemieux’s mansion. Sid is a fucking millionaire living in the attic of another millionaire’s house. It’s ridiculous, especially being Sid is twenty-six years old.   
Mario is lounging in the living room and Nathalie is in the kitchen probably cooking dinner. Nate can hear the kids running around in the basement.  
“Hey, Nate!” Mario calls. “Sid said you’d be staying here for a while. Please, make yourself at home. Dinner will be ready shorty.”  
Nate smiles at the legend. “Thank you so much, sir.”  
Mario scoffs. “Mario will do just fine.”  
“We’ll be down for dinner,” Sid says, hefting Nate’s bag onto his shoulder. The look on his face says Nate is in for it when they get upstairs.   
He’s right. Sid drops Nate’s bag at the top of the stairs. “Sit,” he says pointing at his couch. Nate sighs and flops down. Sid sits down next to him. “Tell me what’s going on.”  
Nate gulps. He knows he should tell Sid, but he doesn’t want to start crying. He tries to wipe tears, that are already falling, away.   
“Hey, hey,” Sid says, pulling Nate in for a hug. “I’m sorry. Please, I just want to know what’s going on.”  
Nate sniffles and pulls away. He takes a deep breath and starts in. “Tyson and I fought at the Gala. The guys were teasing him a little on camera and he got really flustered. We…” Nate takes another deep breath. “We broke up.”  
Sid shakes he head. “You didn’t break up. He broke up with you.”  
Nate closes his eyes and more tears fall. He nods, because that’s what happened. “I miss him.”  
Sid nods. “So why are you only here now, when the Gala was weeks ago?”  
Nate wipes at his eyes again. “It’s been affecting my play, even though I was confident it wouldn’t. Gabe thought I should go somewhere and clear my head. My first thought was here, and I booked a flight without even thinking.”  
Sid smiles softly. “I’m glad this was your first thought.” He pulls Nate into his side. “It’ll all work out in the end. I’m sure of it.” He pauses. “What was the fight about?”  
“Ty still is scared of coming out, and I’m… I’m kinda ready.”  
“You want to come out in public?” Sid asks with surprise.   
Nate nods. “I think I’m ready. But, Tyson is nowhere near. He barely came out to the team for me.”  
Sid nods. “It’s a scary thing, Nate. Give him time.”  
“I know,” Nate sighs. “It’s just, it hurts, a lot. He hurt me, but I still love him. I think I always will.”  
Sid smiles. “Then, you two will find your way back to one another. I’m not going to worry about it. You’re going to have a fantastic week here… or however long you’re staying. Then, you’re going to go back to Colorado and woo your man.”  
Nate smiles. “Video games?”  
“Only if it’s Mario Cart,” Sid says.  
“Oh, you’re on, old man.”  
“Dinner before video games boys!” Mario calls.  
Nate and Sid chuckle before heading downstairs for dinner.  
Nate moans around his dinner, even after he’s given several looks from Sid. Nathalie’s food is just too good not to.   
“Come on, man. There are kids here,” Sid finally says.  
The Lemieux kids giggle.  
“Look. It’s fine. The kids think it’s funny. Plus this is the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life, so I think I get to give it the appreciation it deserves.”  
Sid rolls his eyes while Nathalie smiles fondly. “I’m glad you like it, Nate.”  
They finish dinner in a hurry to play Mario Cart. Nate flops down on the couch, and Sid goes to start the game from the consol.   
“You know everything will be fine,” Sid says when he returns to the couch with two controllers.  
“Can we not talk about it?” Nate asks.  
Sid sighs but doesn’t say anything else, just turns the game on. They go crazy, bumping each other and yelling crazy chirps at one another until Mario comes upstairs to tell them that the kids are going to sleep. They still chirp each other after that, just keep the volume down so the kids can sleep.   
But, it isn’t very much later that Sid yawns. “I have to be up for morning skate tomorrow. We should probably hit the hay.”  
“No one says “hit the hay” anymore, Sid,” Nate chirps, but dropping his controller on the coffee table.  
“I do,” Sid whines, sounding offended.   
Nate laughs and rolls his eyes. Sid shows him the extra bed he made up for Nate. “Thanks man. This means a lot to me.”   
“Of course. I won’t say anytime because that’d be really bad if you were here all the time. I just hope you figure things out.”  
Nate sighs. “Me too, man.”  
Sid rolls out his shoulders, rubbing one of them. “Well, good night.”  
Nate chuckles. “Night, old man.”  
Sid shuffles away to prepare for bed on his own and go through his crazy, superstitious rituals. Nate just changes into a clean pair of sweats and t-shirt before flopping down. He plugs his phone in and watches the notifications appear on his screen. He’s got some messages from teammates asking where he is. He has a text from Gabe asking if his flight got in and he was safe and to figure things out quickly and that they need him. Then, there’s a call from his agent. He tells himself he’ll call back in the morning. He texts Gabe back that he’ll try to hurry. He leaves everything else for tomorrow. He locks his phone and rolls over, prepared for a rough night of sleep.   
He does sleep horribly. He doesn’t really ever get to sleep. He tosses and turns all night. All he can think about is Ty. He loves Ty. Why doesn’t he see that? And if he does, why is he being so horrible about it? Does he need to be so rude? Does he need to break Nate’s heart? He understands the concern, but why can’t they stay secret until Ty is ready? Why do they have to be apart? Nate hates being apart. He hates not being able to curl up with Ty at night. He hates not being right next to him all the time. He hates the avoiding gazes and the missed conversations. He hates waking up in the middle of the night and the side of the bed next to him is cold. He hates making enough coffee for one person in the morning. He hates how many episodes of TV he’s missed because he refuses to watch without Ty. He hates that Ty probably watches them anyway. He hates the weight of the necklace around his neck. He hates looks he gets from teammates. He hates the pity he gets from Sid. He hates the positivity that Sid also gives him. He hates his own home because it brings back to many memories of nights together. He’s starting to hate hockey because it put him here in the first place, but he could never really hate hockey. The only thing he doesn’t hate, and probably should, is Tyson. There’s no force in this world that could make Nate hate Tyson. Not ever.   
He cries into his pillow, hoping that it muffles the sound. He really doesn’t want to wake Sid up. He still actually has to play hockey. At some point, he gets up and takes a shower. He doesn’t really wash, just stands under the spray. He doesn’t know how long he stands there, but when he gets out and dries off, it’s still dark out. He lays down again to try to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are literal gold. Please leave one for me! You can find me on [Tumblr](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/) Hope you enjoyed!


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on closure with this one. I definitely love this story, but I'm ready to move on to the next one, whether it's a new story entirely, or a sequel. I want this to be finished, but I don't know how long it will take to get there. With finals approaching a lot quicker than I would like, it might be a while before I post anything again. I really appreciate all your support with this ridiculously long novel I've constructed. Feel free to leave any comments you have because I'd love to hear what you think! Thanks so much! II love every single one of you.

He must sleep, because the next thing he is aware of is Sid walking around in sweats, getting ready for the day. He rolls over and pulls the comforter over his head. He tries to be oblivious as possible. Maybe it will sink him back into the sleep he so desperately needs. He can tell Sid is trying to make as little noise as possible which means one of two things: either Sid thinks he’s trying to get more sleep, or he was up last night listening to Nate’s internal torture. The first would be the best scenario. It’s probably the second. Nate tried not to be loud. He really did. But he’s used to his empty apartment, his way too empty apartment. It’s easy to cry there because there’s no one to hear it.   
He stays quiet, under his blanket, until he hears Sid walk downstairs. Then, he rolls over. He tries to sleep again. He is, again, unsuccessful. He finally gets up and joins Mario on the main floor. Mario is lounging on the couch, watching golf. Ugh. Nate hates watching golf.   
“Hey, kiddo. How’d you sleep?”   
Nate just shakes his head. There’s no other way to describe how he slept.  
“That bad, huh?” Mario asks.  
Nate nods.   
“Sid said you were awake almost all night. So how much did this boy mean to you?” Mario joins Nate at the breakfast bar with a steaming cup of coffee.  
Nate thanks him with a lift of his cup. “He meant everything to me. He still does. It’s really bad, but nothing he can do will ever make me love him any less.”  
Mario sighs. “Then, kid, you just got to wait it out. You both have your whole lives ahead of you. Before long some other hockey player will come out. It will take the spotlight off your boy. Maybe then he’ll be a little more comfortable. Maybe that day never comes. There are still ways around it. You’ve been doing fine until now apparently.”  
“I want to come out… well not necessarily. But, I don’t want to hide. If something ends up of some website, let it. They’re not wrong, so why should it matter. I grew up listening to my dad tell me not to care what anyone else thinks. All that really matters is what I think. Even the people we love shouldn’t be able to get in the way of that. And now, all I want to do is look after Tyson. All I want to do is make sure he’s okay. That effects my actions, some of which I wouldn’t care if it were up to me. But, it isn’t, and I wish he would see how much I’m giving up for him sometimes. He’s got his concerns and that’s fine. I just wish he didn’t push me away. I don’t know why the solution to a few concerns is to cut me off.”  
“Maybe, he’s so scared that’s the only solution he can see. As the one who isn’t afraid of the dark, who can’t just see running away, you have to provide better options for the both of you. Without those better options that you can see, your boy will be left in the dark with no way to the light. Does that make sense?”  
Nate nods, digesting. Ty has always needed him there. He needed Nate there more than ever at the Gala and after, and Nate had thrown it back in his face. How could he have been so blind? How could he not have seen Ty’s hurt? As Ty’s lover, best friend even, it’s his job to comfort and protect him. He failed, and now he has to deal with the consequences, one of which being sleepless nights at the Lemieux house until he’s worked up enough courage of his own to go home. “Can I still stay here for a while?” he asks.  
Mario nods. “Of course. You both have to heal now. If you need to be here to start your healing, that is okay.”  
Nate smiles. “Thank you, Mario.”  
“Of course, kid.” He pats Nate on the back. “There’s a gym in the basement if you don’t want to die when you get back to Denver.”  
Nate chuckles. “Thank you, again, for everything.”  
Mario smiles. “Go work out, kid. Sometimes it’s the best place to think.”  
Nate nods and goes upstairs to change. Getting on the bike is a good idea. He needs to do that. He needs to stay in shape. If he doesn’t he’s going to hear it when he gets back to Denver. He might even hear it from Sid in a couple days if he doesn’t do anything.   
Nate’s in the shower when Sid gets back.  
“What’s up?” Sid asks from outside the bathroom door.  
“Not much. Heard wise words from Mario and got on the bike. Figure I should keep up my training if I’m not gonna be skating.” Nate turns of the water and gets out of the shower. He hears Sid chuckle.   
“Alright. Well, Nathalie is going to have food downstairs in a few.”  
“Sounds perfect.” Nate towels off and finds Sid messing with something in the other room. “What’s that?”   
“Just part of my routine,” Sid answers without looking up.   
Nate nods. He should know what it is. He’s hung out with Sid for years. But, his routine changes in regard to circumstances. With his concussion a few years ago, he probably changed a lot.  
“Boys! Food!” Nathalie calls.   
Nate races downstairs, remembering he hadn’t eaten yet today. He serves himself a huge helping, thanking Nathalie before sitting down at the table and digging in.  
Sid comes down a while later, eyes focused. He’s getting in his zone. It’s how he prepares for games. Nate knows this. He knows he’s not going to be able to talk to him for the rest of the day. That’s cool though, because after he eats, he’s going to take his pregame nap, fiddle with some of his gear, then goes to the rink. He’s always the first to the rink, no matter if it’s a home game or an away game. It’s just his thing. Sid eats in silence at the breakfast bar, eyes far away.  
“How are you doing today?” Nathalie asks, coming to sit by Nate at the table.  
“It’s been okay. Your husband gave me some good advice.”  
“Regarding the boy issue?” she asks before taking a bite.  
Nate nods and swallows.   
“He’s good at that sort of thing. Learned how to deal with Sid, and now he’s a master at it. Probably a good thing too, with how old Lauren is getting. It’s really helping with the parenting thing, getting to practice of Sid. Sid provided a different kind of problem that we weren’t expecting which was good for us.”  
Nate smiles. “Sid is always a problem.” He’s hoping to get a rise out of Sid, but nothing happens. He sighs.   
Nathalie laughs. “Yes. He always has been, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”   
Nate takes his dishes into the kitchen to clean them off. Nathalie’s right. Problems aren’t always a bad thing. Sometimes they make what’s important that much more clear. He goes upstairs to take a nap, play video games, something. He checks his phone, remembering he needs to call his agent. Sitting idly on his lock screen, over the picture of him and Ty, is a message from the man himself.  
Where’d you go? You weren’t at practice today :’(   
Nate doesn’t respond because at the moment it hurts too much. He’ll get to it eventually. He thinks about what Nathalie and Mario have told him. He will answer, just not now. He calls James instead.  
“Nate. Where have you been?” is the reception he gets.  
“Hi. Nice to talk to you too, James,” Nate mutters, flopping down on his makeshift bed.  
“Seriously Nate. What happened? I get word from your management that you won’t be playing for a while and you don’t know when you’ll be back. No one knows where you are. Your parents are worried sick. What the fuck happened?”  
“Tyson and I broke up,” Nate says quickly. “I didn’t think it would affect my play, but it did. Gabe said for me to leave, clear my head. I did it without thinking.”  
“Where are you,” James asks, a little softer this time.  
“Pittsburgh. I’m with Sidney and the Lemieuxs.”  
James sighs. “Next time at least send me a text.”  
Nate chuckles. “James, I barely let Sid know I needed a ride when I landed. There was no way I was gonna think to text you.”   
James chuckles with him. “Well alright. How long are you thinking of staying there?”  
Nate shrugs before he realizes that James can’t see him. “I don’t really know. I need to figure out what I’m going to do when I get back to Denver. Ty meant everything to me and being around him when he won’t even look at me is torture. I have to figure things out. When I’m ready to go back, I’ll give you a call.”  
“You better. I can get you on a better airline than Southwest.”  
Nate groans. “Gabe told you?”  
“Yes he did, Nate. I’m really impressed with your ineptitude.”  
“Neh, neh, neh,” Nate says back.  
“Wow very mature.”  
“I’m twenty, James.”  
“Alright, well as long as we’ve got this sorted, I don’t need to talk to you anymore. Let me know when you’re ready to go back.”  
“Will do.” Then Nate hangs up the phone. He stares at the screen for a while, before texting back all his concerned teammates. He tells them he’s gone away to clear his head and he’ll be back soon. Texting Tyson back is a different matter entirely. He stares at their past conversations, trying to figure out what to say. They haven’t texted, even talked, since they broke up. It’s all sappy, romantic shit. Nate has to blink tears away. He finally types. Visiting Sid. Be home soon. He’s not sure he can handle saying more than that.   
The little dots appear almost instantly. Hurry back. Is his response. The dots don’t go away when it comes through. Then, another message appears. We should talk when you get back.  
Nate can’t bring himself to respond to that. Yes, they probably should talk. Nate will text him when he gets back to Denver, but right now he can’t.   
He turns on some stupid TV and dozes. He wakes to Nathalie calling his name. “Nate, come on! Dinner’s ready and they’re about to start playing!”  
He shakes himself awake and goes downstairs. The kids are all sitting on the couch with TV tables in front of them. He thanks Nathalie for waking him and takes his spot on the couch. It’s just him, the kids, and Nathalie. Mario has to be at the games anymore, and Sid’s playing, obviously. The kids cheer loud the whole game against the Flyers. Nate cheers along with them, always hoping Sid does well. They beat the Flyers in regulation so Nate helps Nathalie get the kids to bed.   
“I’m gonna get to bed too,” Nate says, scratching the back of his head.  
“Of course, honey. Get your rest.” Nathalie smiles lovingly at him.  
Nate’s glad he chose to come here. Being around Nathalie and Mario is really calming. It’s like being around parents, and being with Sid is always like being home. He takes a shower and drops into bed, ready to try for a good night’s sleep. He hasn’t had one in a very long time. He must sleep extremely well, because the next thing he’s aware of is Sid shaking him awake.   
“What time is it?” Nate moans, rolling over.  
“Ten am. Nathalie has breakfast if you’re thinking about getting up,” Sid sasses.   
Nate groans but sits up.  
“Sleep well?” Sid asks.  
Nate nods.   
“Maybe that means it’s time to go home,” Sid suggests.  
“I don’t know man. I’m still not sure I could face Ty. I… I yelled at him the night before I left, Sid.”  
Sid nods, listening.  
“I don’t really know what I was yelling. I’m not sure I want to. I think I tried to hit him. As much as I love him, I don’t think there’s any coming back from this. I don’t know how to handle that.”  
Sid sighs, smiling slightly. “Then stay here a little longer. As much as I want you to take the time that you need, your club is suffering without you.”  
Nate nods. “I’ve just got a few more things to sort out in my head before going back.”  
Sid nods. “I understand. I haven’t been where you are, but I’ve been close.” Sid puts a hand on Nate’s shoulder. “Do what’s best for you, and the rest will sort itself out.”  
“How can you be so sure?” Nate asks. He’s so scared that if he does what’s best for him, then he’ll alienate Ty forever.  
“Because love is the strongest force there is, Nate. Not to sound cliché, but there is nothing stronger.”  
Nate sighs. “I guess.”  
“You’ll see.” Sid pats his shoulder. “Let’s get breakfast.”  
Nate nods and follows Sid downstairs. With the kids having gone to school, the main floor is quiet. Nathalie smiles at them when the sit down at the breakfast bar together. “I suppose you slept well?” she asks Nate, placing food in front of them. It looks wonderful. Anything hockey moms cook just seems to be better than gourmet.   
Nate nods, stuffing his face as fast as he can.  
Nathalie laughs. “Well, good. Enjoy boys.”  
They don’t talk, just put away food like black holes. They help Nathalie clean the dishes. Sid goes to look at game footage. Nate changes and gets on the treadmill to think.  
He goes through what he knows first. He knows he has to go back. He knows he has to talk to Tyson. He knows he loves Tyson. He knows Tyson is very, very scared right now. So, somehow, Nate needs to either convince Tyson he doesn’t need to be scared (which isn’t likely) or let him be scared for the time being and let him deal with that how he needs to. But, in either scenario, Nate knows he needs to be a part of Ty’s life, even if that means they go back to being friends. Even if that means he has to be extremely cautious around Ty about any kind of relationship stuff. Nate knows that he can wait if he has to. He’ll do anything for Ty. He needs to get back to Colorado and tell him that. Ty needs to know that Nate is on his side.   
Nate stops the treadmill and hops off. He showers, grabs his phone and hits the Lemieux’s amazing hot tub. He calls his agent first.   
“Nate. How is it?” he asks.  
“I’m ready to go home,” Nate responds.   
“Great. Flight for tomorrow?”  
“Yeah,” Nate says.  
“Wonderful. I’ll let management know. Please tell Gabe. They’re worried about you.”  
“Don’t worry, James. I will.”  
“Glad to hear your back. I’ll send you your flight info soon.”  
“Thanks.”  
“Get some rest, bud.” With that, Jake hangs up.  
Nate calls Gabe.  
“Nate, thank god,” Gabe says when he picks up. “Please tell me you’re coming home.”  
“Yeah, captain. I’m heading home tomorrow. Can you pick me up?”  
“Great. Of course. We won’t be back for morning skate, I’m assuming, but you’ll be back for the game in two days.”  
“Yeah, captain. That was my thinking too,” Nate says sarcastically, rolling his eyes.   
“Hey now. I could tell coach to bench you one more game.”  
Nate laughs. “But you won’t. Admit it. You need my mad skills back on the ice.”  
“No. Never,” Gabe replies.   
“Fine, maybe I’ll get Tyson to admit it.”  
“That’s cheating!” Gabe whines.  
“All’s fair in love and war.” That settles in Nate’s gut as he thinks about it.   
“Whatever. See ya tomorrow, Nate.” Gabe hangs up.  
Nate stares at his phone for a while before deciding to text Tyson.  
I’m coming home tomorrow.  
That’s great, Nate.  
Can we talk when I get back?  
Sure. We need too.  
I know… Our coffee place?  
Yeah.  
Nate smiles and locks his phone. He sinks into the water, wishing Max had one of these. It’s fantastic. He closes his eyes for a bit and just relaxes. It feels good just to sit.   
“Having a good time?”   
Nate opens his eyes and sees Sid coming down in swim trunks and a robe that’s open. He nods. “It feels really good. I wish I had one of these.”  
Sid laughs and slips in beside him. “I’ve got one planned for the house I’m building.”  
“You’re building a house?” Nate exclaims. He splashes around in the water for a bit.  
Sid chuckles. “I didn’t tell you?”  
Nate shakes his head. “Why didn’t you consult me? Why wasn’t I asked about this? Sid!”   
Sid chuckles again. “Sorry, man. I was gonna ask you about design. Taylor doesn’t think it’s a good idea.”  
“It’s a great idea,” Nate huffs. “Taylor can shove it up her ass.”  
“Careful. That’s my sister you’re talking about,” Sid says, whacking Nate lightly on the shoulder.   
Nate smiles. “How’s Andre?”  
Sid blushes and looks down. “He’s good. Things are good.”  
“Is he going to move in with you when your house is finished.”  
Sid shrugs. “I haven’t asked him about it yet.”  
“Please tell me you at least told him you were building a house,” Nate whines. The look on Sid’s face tells him everything. “Seriously, Sid? What did we talk about this summer? The more communication the better.”  
“Says the one running from his problems,” Sid mumbles.  
“My problems are different. You have to tell Andre.”  
Sid sighs. “Maybe.”  
“No not maybe. You are going to do this Sid. Before I leave and I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”  
Sid’s eyebrows shoot up. “Need a ride?”   
“Don’t change the topic. You’re telling Andre today and that’s that.”  
“Fine.”   
“Okay, back to the ride. Don’t you have a game? I don’t want to mess up your routine. I’ll ask Nathalie.”  
“You sure?” Sid looks fairly concerned, like a real older brother.   
Nate puts a hand on Sid’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine. It’s time I go back.”  
Sid nods. “Did you talk to Ty?”  
Nate nods and glances down at the water. “We texted a little. We’re going to talk when I get back.”  
Sid nods. “Probably a good idea.”  
“I’m scared, Sid.”  
Sid sighs and pulls Nate to him. “There’s nothing to bed scared of. You love him enough that eventually things will fall into place again.”  
Nate nods, sighing a little. “Now. Call Andre and tell him about your fucking house.”  
Sid chuckles, but reaches onto the pool deck to where his phone rests on a towel. Nate stifles some laughter at the fact that he gets to hear half of this conversation.   
“Hey, babe,” Sid says when Andre answers.   
“I wanted to tell you something. Uh… well, Nate kind of insisted that I tell you.”  
Nate smirks and sticks his tongue out. Sid sneers back.   
“Yeah, so, um… I’m building a house.”  
Nate sees Sid wince at what must be Andre yelling at him. “Yes, Andre…” Sid sighs, letting Andre continue. “I was totally going to tell you. I just hadn’t gotten around to it.”   
A small smile quirks at Sid’s mouth. “Of course you can see the house. There’s not much done now.” A small smile turns into a turn blown smile and blush. “I would love to have your opinion.” He clears his throat. “That brings me to another question for you.” There’s a short pause. “I was hoping you’d move into the house with me when it’s finished.” There’s some hesstation in Sid’s voice, punctuated by the concern and nervousness in his face as he asks. Nate smiles, knowing what Ande’s answer is as Sid’s face transforms into radiant joy.   
Nate sinks down into the water and into his own thoughts as Sid continues to talk to Andre. He wants that with Ty. He wants to be that loved in return. He knows it’s ridiculous to think that knowing where he sits with Ty. But, it’s a fantasy he’s had for a while. The two of them together, in their own house. Small toys scattered across the floor. Ty sleeping with a baby propped on his shoulder. It’s all Nate wants. He doesn’t think it’s ever going to happen at this point, but the image still brings a soft smile to his face. Maybe he’s more ready to go home to his hockey family than he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, you can find me on [Tumblr](http://hockeymylovemylife.tumblr.com/)


	30. Chapter Thirty

Natalie hugs him when she drops him off at the airport the next morning. “Good luck,” she whispers in his ear. He smiles at her and grabs his bag out of the back.  
“Thanks. I’ll let Sid know to relay what happens back to you guys.”  
“I’m glad to hear that.”  
He checks in, gets through security, and goes to the first class club to wait for his flight. He fiddles with his phone for a few minutes before getting something to snack on. It’s going to be a long day.

Gabe meets him with a smile at the DIA pick-up. He gets a one-arm, side-hug that he really needs. “Hey man. Good to see you.”  
“Yeah, it’s good to be back.”  
His apartment is quiet… too quiet when he gets in. Everything is exactly like he left it but it just doesn’t feel like home. He sighs and leaves his suitcase on the floor and drops his clothes on top. He changes into some gym clothes so he can work some of this anxiety from his body. He’s going to see Ty this afternoon and he doesn’t know what he’s going to do. He might just get on one knee and fucking propose for all he knows, even without a ring.   
Just before he’s about to take a shower, his phone pings with a text from Tyson.  
Be there in a half hour.  
Nate responds in kind, quickly hopping into the shower, just to rinse the sweat off. He’s down at their coffee place, in their booth in twenty minutes. He ordered his regular but hasn’t taken a sip. His phone lies on the table, face up. He drums his fingers on the table incessantly. He needs Ty to show up. They really need to figure this out.   
He sees Ty immediately when he walks through the door. The smile shyly at each other. Nate lets him get a coffee, doesn’t stand up to approach. This needs to be done right.  
Tyson sits down and Nate can hear him swallow. “So.”  
Nate nods. “Um… I’m sorry. I realize now how much of a dick I was. You needed me. Boyfriend. Best friend. It doesn’t matter. I watched you freak out and did nothing. And for that I’m sorry.”  
Tyson blinks a couple times. “I… I wasn’t expecting that.”  
Nate cocks his head. “What were you expecting?”  
“To apologize for freaking out,” he says quietly, looking at his coffee.   
Nate shakes his head. “You don’t have to apologize for your feelings, Tyson.”   
“I’m sorry for pushing you away.” Tyson takes a sip of his coffee. “You’re still my best friend. Probably always will be. No one else puts up with my shit the way you do.”  
Nate nods.  
“I can’t help that I can’t be out of the closet with you. I’m sorry about that. But, I’m hoping for our sake and the sake of the team, we can figure out how to be friends again?”  
Nate swallows and nods. “Of course,” he says trying not to let his voice waver. “You’ll always be my best friend too.”  
Tyson gives him a small smile. “So, how was Sid?”  
Nate shrugs. “Same old.” He takes a sip of coffee, hoping to hide the way his feelings are leaking out of his eyes.   
“Well, the team missed you. We’re glad to have you back.”  
“Me too.” He’s not actually sure if he means it. It’s too much emotion right now. He just wants to go home. He wants to scream at the world, break things, tear apart a building and burn the world. But, if friends is all Tyson can do right now, it’ll have to be enough.   
They talk for an hour or so before the awkwardness gets to be too much, and they have to leave. Nate knows things will never be the same between them again. He only hopes he might be able to win back Ty’s heart if he could only figure out what went on in his head. If he follows Mario’s advice, maybe there is a future for them.   
He hugs Tyson, which surprises both of them. But, Nate thinks he probably needs it more than Tyson does, to feel Ty’s arms around him. To hold onto that while he waits it out. Waiting he can do. He has too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so terribly sorry that one: it took so long to update and two: that it is so short. I needed to close out this story. It had been all consuming and took on much more of Nate and Tyson's story than I expected. After this, I'm going to take time to collect my thoughts and begin writing the second part to their love story. I can't say when I will post but I do promise I will. I thank you for sticking with this project that became much longer than I ever anticipated. I will post updates on my [Tumblr](https://hockeyisallineed.tumblr.com/) so please follow me. If there's anything you want to see in the next one, or something entirely different please go send me and ask over there! I love you all!!


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